Requiem For Remnant
by Numbnut10
Summary: Oh, poor Headmaster Ozpin. The whole of Remnant has trusted you with their lives. They think that you can keep them safe, but their faith in you is misplaced. You want to save them from what is coming. But how can you, when you couldn't even save me? You cannot protect them, not a single one. You'll never find the simple soul you seek. Such a thing doesn't exist, you quixotic fool.
1. Opening

**Disclaimer**: _RWBY_ is not owned by me. It is owned by Rooster Teeth. This fan-fiction is not for profit.

**Credit**: Promotional cover art was drawn by _KumaFromTaiwan_. Permission to post has been granted by artist.

**Warnings**: This fiction will be rated _T_ for bad language, fantasy violence, and mild sexual themes.

**Summary**: The Grimm invasion has been repelled and the city of Vale now breathes easy. With the apparent mastermind, Roman Torchwick, captured and imprisoned, the danger seems to have passed. But little do they know that this was merely the opening move in a much larger war game. Headmaster Ozpin and his Hunters stand in defense of one end of the board, and Cinder Fall with her forces prepare on the other. As dark clouds gather on the horizon, can Ruby Rose be the heroine that Remnant needs her to be? Can a simple soul truly be victorious against the ravenous teeth that howl in the Darkness?

Or is this Remnant's requiem, the final dirge to signal the end of days?

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><p><em><strong>Act 0<strong>_

* * *

><p><strong><em>Requiem for Remnant<em>**

_Chapter 1: Opening_

The sky was a canopy of black with millions upon millions of lights glistening across its canvas. The Moon hovered above Beacon Academy like an ever-watchful sentinel, casting its light down upon the school. The three-pronged central spire towered over the campus, its signal light casting back the Darkness and promising safety for all. The main avenue was laid with cobblestone; the path lined with lampposts and flagpoles. Students would walk down the large, wide-open road all the way to an enormous memorial statue. The statue depicted a Hunter and a Huntress standing on a cliff above the reaches of a feral Beowolf. Around the humongous testimonial sculpture were tall white weirwood trees with crimson leaves. Past the stone monument was a breathtaking, enormous set of ancient double doors. Beneath those doors was the historic epic road upon which every great Hunter treaded. New students would become inspired by walking across the same steps where so many heroic figures walked.

Vale's Beacon Academy was the place where legends were made.

Underneath the watchful gaze of the Moon, a young woman walked Beacon's main avenue. She stood before the statues of the Hunters. A gentle breeze rustled through the weirwood branches, casting around leaves as red as roses. The woman's golden hair swept around her; as long and proud as her name.

Yang Xiao Long glared with amethyst eyes toward the figures etched in stone, but the focus of her burning gaze was the person standing in front of her. Between Yang and the statues was another woman, standing tall with purpose. She wore a short black kimono wrapped by blood red _obi_ sash. On her shoulders was a pair of equally red _sode_ spaulders. Tall, thigh-high boots black as night led up beneath a short black skirt. Around the woman's hips was red plated _kusazuri_ armor. Hanging off her hip was a large sheath with a single sword handle protruding. The sheath itself was much larger than the hilt. It appeared to be fitted with a rotary multi-chamber barrel, each chamber filled with numerous colors of Dust. Inside that sheath was enough volatile Dust to level a city block. Whatever weapon slept inside the sheath must be more powerful than anything Yang has ever seen.

The woman looked like a killing machine dressed in black and red. Her entire face was hidden behind a white Grimm mask with four slits for eyeholes. The mask was fashioned like an Ancient Nevermore with a sloping crest, lined with crimson. Past the mask was a mane of wild ebony hair, flowing down to her back. Around her neck was a single chain necklace, hanging from it was a single golden ring.

The weight of her heavy-plated shotguns-gauntlets, Ember Celica, gave Yang no comfort before the intimidating figure. The sinister mask hid the mysterious woman's expression. She could be smiling or baring her teeth. There were no tell-tale signs of an active Aura, but Yang didn't lower her guard. If the woman reached for her weapon, Yang would start her attack immediately. When you don't know a thing about your enemy, you never want to give her the advantage of first strike.

Suddenly, the grim being lifted her hand up. Amethyst eyes converted to blood red as Yang instinctively activated her Semblance. She swung her right fist back behind her as hard as she could. Ember Celica sprang into action, telescoping up both her arms with overlapping golden metal plates. With a snap and a click, the dual shotgun-gauntlets loaded a fire-based Dust bullet into both chambers. Then Yang stepped forward and threw her right fist forward, prepared to launch a fiery assault on the threatening figure.

That was when the woman reached up with her hand and removed her mask. Yang froze in place, her fist held motionless beside her ear. Her lungs caught. Nothing could have prepared Yang for what was behind that fearsome cover.

It was like looking into some opposite-world mirror. The woman had exactly the same face as Yang. Her chin was the same shape. Her nose was in the same place. Her ears were curved just like Yang's was. And worst of all, her eyes were the exact same shade of red that Yang's eyes currently possessed. Even her hair, now that the Grimm mask was out of the way, was just the same flame-licked style as Yang.

Petrified in place, Yang could only stare in wonder as the woman clipped her Nevermore mask on her belt. Then the woman looked at Yang square in the face. Red eyes locked with red eyes. Her lips curled up. The woman was smiling with her mouth, but her scarlet orbs held so much sadness. Yang couldn't tell if the woman was cheerful or heartbroken. The woman was the first to break the silence.

"We have a lot to talk about."

Unable to say anything else, Yang uttered a blunt "What?"

Smirking, the woman rested her hand on her hip opposite of her weapon. It was a posture that Yang was very familiar with. With effort, Yang managed to step out of her attack stance. She didn't yet retract Ember Celica though. Instead, she crossed her armed gauntlets in front of her bosom. Yang's heart was pounding in her chest so loudly. She couldn't tell what she was feeling yet, so she adopted an angry expression. In her mind, she imagined herself looking like a fearless Huntress. She just hoped that she could pull off the same look on the outside.

The woman's ruby eyes roamed Yang's body like she was admiring her. Yet that wasn't quite right. She didn't seem to be lusting, nor was it admiration. It was something else, like approval? She looked at Yang's face especially, as if she were making the same comparison that Yang had made just a minute ago. Instead of focusing on the similarities, Yang tried to find differences between them. For starters, the shape of the woman's eyes was slightly more upturned in the corners. The woman's forehead also seemed to be narrower compared to Yang. The biggest pair of differences was also Yang's favorite pair. The woman's bust size was easily a full letter down, if not two.

"_This woman looks like me, but she isn't exactly like me."_ Her thoughts were a little comforting. Relaxing slightly, Yang felt her Semblance drain away like a dying flame. She blinked and her eyes returned to their natural amethyst color.

Suddenly, the black haired lady's smile disappeared. She grabbed her mask off her belt and looked like she was going to re-adorn her face. Yang opened her mouth and shouted without thinking.

"Wait!" she cried out. Ember Celica collapsed into a compact form as she reached toward the woman. Stepping back, the woman held the mask over the lower half of her face. Her red eyes locked on with Yang's purple. Her black eyebrows were upturned and tight together. The woman looked at Yang with uncertain eyes, as though she was realizing that she had made an error. Lips hidden behind the mask, the woman murmured in an anxious voice.

"Do…" she stopped herself and breathed heavily.

"Do… you…" Each word sounded like it took enormous effort.

Yang stood in silence, her hand dropped to her side.

"…know who…"

The mask began to drop away, exposing the woman's lips. She was biting them hard enough to leave white marks. More confused than ever, Yang simply waited and listened. Finally, the struggled sentence was completed with:

"Do you know who I am?" Her voice was so small it could have come from a frightened child.

Suddenly, Yang's eyes lit up and she beamed in realization. "Of course I know you!" she exclaimed loudly, breaking the tense atmosphere. The woman dropped the mask in surprise, her mouth forming an 'O'. She stepped over the mask and prepared to take another step when—

Yang cheerfully proclaimed "You're the lady that saved my life."

There was a sharp gasp. The woman staggered back. She looked like she had been punched in the face.

Yang couldn't understand this reaction. "That was you on the train, right? You drove away that ice-cream bitch. Afterwards, you jumped in a portal something. Sorry for not recognizing you right away, my head was kind of groggy back then."

It was like watching a clam shut its shell. The woman's transformation was so sudden that Yang almost missed it. Seconds ago, the woman was actually walking toward Yang with her arms rising up as if she were planning on embracing the blonde. Now she stood as still as the statues behind her, with an expression to match.

She replied in a detached tone. "Yes, that was me." Gone was the strange and frightened child-like demeanor. Though her mask was lying at her feet, Yang felt as though the woman was now wearing another. Just what had Yang seen in her eyes before? Why did it seem so much like longing?

Still rather weirded out by this unknown woman, Yang tried to keep her unease out of her voice. "Well, thanks for that and all Miss… um…" She forced a laugh. It sounded false even to her ears. "I'd like to thank you by name, but I don't know yours."

The ham-fisted attempt at prying a name from the woman was met with silence. Reaching her hand behind her head, Yang tried laughing again. For some strange reason, the woman did not laugh along. Instead, the woman reached behind her back with one hand. She produced something from what could only have been a hidden pocket and held it in front of her face. Her red eyes left Yang for what could have been the first time since the conversation started. She stared at the object in her hand intently. Yang could only see that it was circular, silver, and fit easily in the woman's hand.

Cursing beneath her breath, the woman put the silver discus back behind her. She then knelt down and retrieved her mask from the ground. She hooked it back onto her belt and then finally answered Yang's hanging question.

"Raven." She said crisply.

"That name…" Yang began. For an instant, the woman—or Raven now—seemed to be watching Yang with hawk-like eyes. "…really suits you." The instant passed and Raven only seemed to grow colder. Just what was Raven's deal? First she says that she wanted to talk, then she acted like a lost child, now she seems like she would rather be anywhere else! Yang had just about enough with Raven's attitude.

"Okay then _Raven_," Yang spat the name like a curse "you want to talk? I want to talk too!"

The black-haired doppelganger returned to her previous posture, her hand on her hip. Yang adopted the same posture, thrusting her hip to the side and propping her hand against it. Her Semblance flared up in response to her temper, staining her amethyst eyes bright red once more. Red eyes locked with red. The two women glared at each other with rising intensity.

Yang was the first one to snap. "Why were you on the train in the first place? My team and Professor Oobleck were the only Hunters assigned to that mission. How do I know you aren't an enemy?" she accused.

Raven retorted hotly. "In case you forgot, I saved your sorry ass from little Miss Neo. You'd be cold meat on a metal slab if it weren't for me." She thrust her finger at Yang crossly.

"And I thanked you for that! Now I want to know why you were there in the first place! You ain't exactly gaining my trust here, sneaking into Beacon and wearing that White Fang mask." Yang swung her hand in front of her body as if deflecting Raven's pointed finger from a distance.

Suddenly, Raven burst out into a hearty-yet-still-condescending laugh. "You don't know anything about me! You don't even know where you are!"

"Just how crazy are you?" Yang blew up. Her hair flickered like growing flames. "I'm standing in front of Beacon Academy! We're in Beacon right now!"

"Then how did you get out here?" Raven asked coolly. The corners of her mouth twitched as if she were trying to hold back a smile.

Just about ready to punch the smug expression off Raven's face, Yang opened her mouth and—

Wait, what?

"Do you remember getting out of bed, walking all the way out to the edge of the campus, and then walking back toward the Academy to meet me here?" Raven pointed at the Academy, which was far behind her. Yang couldn't remember that sequence of events at all.

"I—I don't get it…" Yang stammered; her anger suddenly extinguished.

"Not everything is how it appears, little girl." Raven cooed.

Suddenly, the whole world seemed false. The moon looked flat in the sky. The stars weren't winking the right way. Even the large memorial statue looked like it was made from cardboard. Yang spun in place, noting that everything from the lampposts to the weirwood trees had taken on a different texture.

"Where in the hell am I?" Yang exploded. Nothing made sense anymore. Her head was pounding.

"You were actually half-right before." Raven admitted. "You said we were in Beacon, but that's only half true."

Turning to face the dark clad woman, Yang shouted "What do you mean? How can that be half true?"

"As far as I know, you're still in Beacon. But that's not where I am." Raven explained. As she spoke, small wisps of steam left her lips.

Clenched fists shaking at her sides, Yang nearly lost it. "Are you _trying_ to piss me off? Stop with your vague _bullshit!_"

"You are in Beacon Academy, sleeping in your bed."

Her mind processed this for a moment; then Yang relaxed her fists and sucked in a sharp breath. "I'm dreaming?"

"Finally, she gets it." Raven sighed, shaking her head slowly. With every breath, she blew a little steam.

"Huh," Yang put both hands on her hips and looked around "my dreams are getting too Meta. Why is my dream telling me that I'm dreaming?"

"That's because I'm not a part of your dream, Yang." Raven pointed her thumb at herself as she said this. "I've entered your dream to talk to you."

"Hold on!" Yang exclaimed loudly. "You're a real person? You're actually the person who I saw on the train?" Raven nodded and her black hair bobbed along. "If you're not a figment of my dream, then why do you look like me?"

Suddenly, Raven began reaching for her mask once more. She put her hand over the mask. She dropped her chin to her chest and paused in consideration. Then she left the mask on her belt. When she lifted her eyes back to Yang, Raven's expression was completely unreadable. When she spoke, curls of white steam blew from her soft lips.

"Your appearance in the dream world does not reflect your real physical exterior."

Yang crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Is that right? So that's not what you really look like?"

Suddenly a sympathetic expression dawned on Raven's face. "That's also why your current form doesn't match what you look like in the real world."

Looking down on her body, Yang searched for any discrepancies. Surprised, Yang yelped. "Wow, I guess I didn't go to sleep in these clothes."

Her attire was nothing out of the ordinary for Yang, but it certainly wasn't her sleepwear. Yang was wearing her brown biker jacket over a yellow tube-top. She was dressed in a brown skirt over black short shorts. Hanging over her ass was a white cape adorned with a burning golden heart, her emblem. Her boots reached up to her knees, leaving just her pale thighs exposed.

Yang chuckled in embarrassment. "I guess I should've realized this was a dream sooner." Still, there was something about Raven's concerned face that gave Yang pause. "What's wrong, Raven?"

Raven suddenly began to walk toward Yang. There was sorrow in her eyes. As the distance between the two women closed, Yang began to get nervous. Raven reached behind her back again. Yang stepped back instinctively, her gut twisted in anxiety.

Pulling it out from behind her, Raven held a simple hand-mirror up to Yang's face. She looked like she was prepared to regret herself. Yang reached out and grasped the mirror. She peered into the mirror. Amethyst eyes locked with amethyst.

"I—I don't see anything wrong." Yang said after a moment. "Why are you showing me this?"

Finally, Raven intoned soberly "Do you remember what that ice-cream bitch did to you?"

Silence fell between them. Then Yang opened her mouth and moaned in horror. In the mirror, Yang's reflection changed as her memories resurfaced. Dark purple and red bruises began to spread across Yang's mug. She could feel more damage manifesting beneath her clothes.

"Oh no…" Yang bemoaned as a glistening black shiner formed around her left eye. That strawberry shortcake bitch had kicked Yang's face so hard that her nose had felt broken. As if on cue, a stream of ruby red blood began trickling out of Yang's nostrils. Yang quickly pinched the bridge of her nose to stem the flowing tide.

"Oh shit…" Grimacing, Yang fought against the sudden wave of nausea that washed over her. She didn't even want to know what the rest of her body looked like. "This is going to hurt when I wake up, isn't it?"

Raven laid a tender hand on Yang's head. "Sorry kiddo, but that's what happens when you get your ass beat. If it's any consolation, my real face isn't nearly as pretty as yours."

"If this is a dream, can I stop this bleeding?" Yang snorted blood up her nostrils. Raven ran her fingers through Yang's golden locks. Gradually, Yang felt warmth run through the point of contact. It was a strange sensation, foreign yet not unfamiliar. In the mirror, Yang's reflection began to change again. The shiner faded until it was just pale white skin again. The numerous bruises shrank until they were almost gone. The vivacious scarlet fluid that flowed from Yang's nose came to a dribbling stop. Eyes wide, Yang blurted out "What are you doing?"

"I'm sharing my Aura with you." Raven said coldly. "My Aura can heal your body until your own Aura recovers."

Yang's mouth gaped open like a fish out of water. "I didn't know that was possible."

"It is possible, but only under certain conditions." She sounded tired. White clouds billowed out of Raven's mouth.

It was then that Yang finally noticed it. Raven was close enough for Yang to see her lips. The black-haired woman's lips were darkening into blue. On top of Yang's head, Raven's hand was ice cold and shaking. Beside her ear, Raven's teeth began to chatter.

Yang lashed out with both hands and pushed Raven away. As soon as their contact was broken, Raven stumbled backwards as if in slow motion. "Hey!" Yang hollered. "What is sharing your Aura doing to your body?"

For a moment, it looked as though Raven would topple over. Her lids fluttered nearly closed and her eyes rolled back. Sluggishly, Raven righted herself and stood on unsteady feet. Her teeth were chattering so hard that they could chip themselves.

"…C—c –can't share Aura if—f—f… I'm using it…" she mumbled under her breath. Her whole body quaked as if she were trapped in a blizzard only she could feel. Bewildered, Yang did the only thing that she could think of. She wrapped her arms around Raven's quivering form. Her skin was ice to the touch.

"Why are you giving me your Aura?"Yang implored. She tightened her clinch around. She didn't know how to return Raven's Aura. She could only hope that warmth was somehow transferable over dreams.

"...D—d –don't want see y—you hurt…" Little by little, the shaking slowed.

"I don't get it. Why am I so important to you?" Yang pleaded.

"…B—B—Being stup—pid… You're a—a—a big—g g—girl now…" Warmth crept back into Raven's skin.

"Are you still back at Mount Glenn?" Yang inquired.

Without warning, Raven viciously struggled against Yang's embrace. Eyes wild, the black-haired doppelganger tore away from the blonde-haired Huntress and ran a distance away. Breasts heaving, the scarlet-eyed woman reached behind her back and produced the silver discus again. When she looked at it, she looked like she was ready to faint.

"No mo—more time left." Raven gasped. "I wasted too much. I have to say it now."

Before she could say another word, the entire world began to shift. The memorial statue exploded into a million shards of stone. The trees rocked back and forth as though there was a tremendous earthquake. Cobblestones began to erupt out of the pathway around Yang and Raven. Chunks of Remnant began to geyser into the air. The moon overhead detonated into so many pieces there wasn't even a word for the number.

"What's going on?" Yang screamed. She covered her head as sharp fragments of Beowolf rained down.

"You're being woken up!" Raven yelled. She dropped to the ground and rolled just as a meteorite impacted the ground.

"Will I see you—"

"Shut up!" Raven barked over the clamor. "You have to listen right now!" Yang stifled another scream and did her damnedest to hear Raven's words over the cacophonous upheaval. "Beacon is not—"

The next word was drowned out as the Moon impacted Beacon Academy. Yang could only watch Raven's lips move to form the word.

First letter: teeth slightly apart with the tongue on the roof of her mouth.

Second letter: almost the same as the first, but with her cheeks pulled back and her tongue down.

Third letter: biting her lower lip and speaking from out of the corners of her mouth.

Then the dream world exploded.

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><p>Amethyst eyes snapped open. Yang sucked in a deep breath and catapulted herself out of her bunk bed. As fast as she could remember it, she worked her mouth the exact same way she had just seen in her dream and exclaimed one word.<p>

"Safe!"

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><p>End Chapter 1: Opening<p>

**Author's Notes:** I have planned out multiple story arcs. This is Arc 0, the build up before the actual story begins. I have so much story to tell you. There will be times cheerful and lighthearted. Then there will be times dark and angst-ridden. Characters will grow and develop as they fight against the forces that conspire against them. This is my story about the unforgiving world of Remnant.

_RWBY_ and its characters may belong to Monty Oum, but I will be interpreting his vision differently.

Please read and review.


	2. Raven Takes Flight

**Disclaimer**: _RWBY_ is not owned by me. It is owned by Rooster Teeth. This fan-fiction is not for profit.

**Warnings**: This fiction will be rated _T_ for bad language, fantasy violence, and mild sexual themes.

**Author's Notes:** Every once in a while, I will toss out a miniature half-chapter. I don't want anyone to think that my chapters will be this short. This is just a snippet of writing that gripped me in a rage and threw me against my computer until it was finally born. Then I opened my scarlet eyes and blood poured down my face and into my screaming mouth.

Maybe I should call an exorcist.

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><p><em><strong>Requiem for Remnant<strong>_

_Chapter 1.5: Raven Takes Flight_

"—Safe!" The hoarse cry echoed off the cavern walls.

Raven Branwen opened her scarlet eyes and saw complete and utter blackness. Flakes of ice fell from her eyelashes. She pushed herself upright off the frigid cave floor. Wisps of steam erupted out of her mouth with every breath. The air tasted bitter like coal. She groped the darkness until she found her Nevermore mask. She did not put it on her face, but merely held it. Its surface was cold to the touch.

The frozen wind howled past the mouth of the cave. It sounded like women screaming. The mouth of the cave had teeth made from ice. This far away from the mouth, there was no wind and no blizzard. At this elevation though, there was no escaping the overwhelming cold. If not for her Aura, Raven would have frozen to death in minutes. Even now, her cheeks were dark and lips were blue.

The tender warmth of Yang Xiao Long's arms faded. Raven drew her knees up to her chin. She wrapped herself with her long, black hair and tried to hold in the heat. She failed and the embrace was lost to memory. Raven raised her head and fought back tears. She knew she failed that too when she could feel their warmth trickling down her face. The tears fell in the trenches that scarred her once beautiful face.

"_I have failed you so many times, Yang."_

With bitter cold fingers, Raven grasped the golden band hanging from her necklace. There was nothing she wanted more than to fall into warmer, happier memories. Instead, she fought against sleep's siren call. If Raven were to fall asleep again here, in this arctic atmosphere, she might never wake again.

"_I have failed you more than I hope you ever know."_

Pushing herself upon trembling feet, Raven held her raw hands against the cave wall for support. Her skull felt as heavy as lead. Lush, ebony hair tumbled over her shoulders. Then she reached for the sword handle at her side. She wrapped numb fingers around the icy hilt. With effort, she drew forth her blade Yatagarasu. This time, the blade was midnight blue. In its inactive state, the length of the blade classified it as a _Tantō_. As soon as it was freed from its sheath, Masamune, the sleeping sword awoke to its full _Ōdachi_ span.

Flicking her wrist expertly, Raven slashed the great length of Yatagarasu across empty air. The wintery zephyr split apart and a vertical hole opened wide in front of the frigid Huntress. The portal was as blue as Raven's blade. She returned Yatagarasu to Masamune's embrace and let them hang together from her hip. Exhaling a cloud of white mist, she set her Nevermore mask against her face.

Leaving her tears to freeze on the cave floor, Raven stepped into the portal and left Mount Glenn behind.

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><p>End Chapter 1.5: Raven Takes Flight<p>

I will begin naming weapons and other things that haven't been officially named yet. This is one way that my story will inevitably differ from Monty Oum's vision. I have my own plan for Team RWBY and friends.

The next chapter will be released very soon. Let's meet up with the rest of our heroines.

Please review.


	3. Sunrise

**Disclaimer**: _RWBY_ is not owned by me. It is owned by Rooster Teeth. This fan-fiction is not for profit.

**Warnings**: This fiction will be rated _T_ for bad language, fantasy violence, and mild sexual themes.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Requiem for Remnant<em>**

_Chapter 3: Sunrise_

"Beacon is not—" the words echoed through Yang Xiao Long's head. The last word, the most important word, was lost to the howling apocalypse. The shattered face of the Moon collided with Remnant. The world exploding beneath her feet, Yang could only see Raven's lips moving just before she woke up.

"Safe!" Yang exclaimed as she bolted upright from her bed. For a moment, the blonde youth sat with her elbows on her knees, breathing into her shaking hands. Her golden-yellow locks fell over both her shoulder, disheveled and uncombed. Yang squeezed her magenta eyes shut and tried to blot out the horrific memory. She could still feel the chill in her arms where she had embraced Raven's quaking body. Cold sweat ran down her back, sticking her pajama top to her bare skin. Then she sucked in an unsteady breath and cast her gaze at the rest of the room.

The square dorm room was filled with warm sunlight shining through a large set of double windows. The windows were open, allowing inside a cool fresh breeze. The scent of fresh flowers and tree leaves wafted in, saturating Yang's head with the smells of spring. Somewhere in the distance, songbirds were dancing in the clear blue skies and practicing their beautiful melodies. An unnecessarily pretty butterfly flew through the window and landed on the short bookshelf directly beneath. Some demented asshole had the audacity to play Edvard Grieg's "Peer Gynt" Suite #1, Op. 46 directly outside of Beacon Academy's dormitories.

Yang sincerely wanted to punch whoever was playing that goddamn music.

Four pairs of eyes gawked back at Yang. The largest pair of eyes were as colorless as silver. Ruby Rose warily watched her sister as Yang gave each person in the room a blank stare. The next eyes were robin egg blue. The heiress of the Schnee Dust Company, Weiss Schnee, spared her teammate a brief glance before returning her attention to a wooden box in her hands. The third set of eyes were amber, the pupils were narrow, vertical slits. Blake Belladonna scrutinized Yang's tousled appearance with concern.

The closest pair of eyes was completely unfamiliar to Yang. They were colors of the sunset, violet flecked with gold. They belonged to a mature, dark-skinned woman dressed in a doctor's white lab coat. Her short, cropped hair was violet and her mouth was turned into a frown. The woman appeared to be in her late forties, with crows-feet wrinkles and frown-lines marking her face. The woman was at eye level with Yang, which in itself was unusual because Yang was sitting on the top half of a bunk bed. The mystery was solved when Yang realized the doctor lady was standing on a stepladder. It was then that Yang noticed that there was a medical kit sitting on the bed next to her. It was opened and inside there was rolls of bandages, gauze, and alcohol swabs.

"What's happening?" asked Yang in a low voice. She looked to her half-sister, Ruby for an explanation.

Ruby delivered in a high, anxious voice. "I went to wake you up just a little bit ago. But you were tossing and turning in your sleep so much that I was getting worried. Then I saw the blood on your pillow."

Amethyst eyes blinked hard. Then Yang craned her head back and felt her heart tumble. The entire face surface of her pillow was crusted over with dried, dark red blood. Her favorite corgi pillow was completely ruined. The memory of her fight with little Miss Neo made her stomach churn and her face burn.

Continuing where she left off, Ruby said "I called this nurse to take a look at you. But she couldn't get close to you because your Semblance kept turning on and off. We were afraid you would burn your bed down." Indeed, the entire bed-sheet that Yang was sitting on was blanketed in scorch marks. The acidic stench of smoke hung in the air. That must have been why someone opened the window too. "Is something the matter, Yang? You haven't had sleeping Semblance accidents since you were real young." The overwhelming concern in Ruby's voice only made Yang feel worse.

Waving her hand in front of her face, Yang tried to laugh it away. "It was just a nightmare. That's all. I'm fine!"

The nurse grasped the waving hand and pressed two knotted fingers against Yang's wrist. "I'll be the judge of that." The swarthy medic interjected saucily. "You can call me Nurse Orchid and you're _my_ patient now."

After taking the young blonde's heart-rate, Nurse Orchid grabbed a pen-light out of her med-kit and pointed it up Yang's nostrils. While lighting up the inside of Yang's skull, Orchid began to voice her thoughts. "I've seen this sort of thing happen before. You were in a big fight yesterday, during the Grimm breach? Did you seek proper medical treatment before going to sleep?"

"Uh, nope." Yang admitted. Orchid grabbed Yang's nose and pinched. A sharp pain shot through her head and she couldn't help but cry out. Ruby cringed at the sound of Yang's torment.

"That was a stupid idea!" Orchid released Yang's nose and pointed her penlight down Yang's open mouth. "What, did you think '_I feel fine, my Aura will heal my wounds la-de-da'_ and pop off to bed?"

"Uh, I guess you're right?" Yang conceded. Or at least she would have, but her mouth was kept open so it sounded more like "Guh, ah guss ur gait?" Orchid grabbed Yang's tongue and stretched it out of her mouth. At this point, Yang was seriously wondering if Orchid was providing a check up or a dress down.

Incensed now, the school nurse released Yang's tongue. "Greater Hunters than yourself have done the same thing and died as a result. You just got lucky last night!" Orchid whacked the crown of Yang's head with the penlight. "You were feeling fine because your Aura was healing your wounds. But over the course of the night, your Aura burned itself out before it could finish. That's why you started bleeding all over your pillow. If you were lying on your back, you could very well have drowned in your own blood!"

Interrupting, Yang tried to defend herself. "I can't sleep on my back. My boobs fall over my face and then I really start to suffocate—"

The penlight came down on Yang's head again. "Don't butt in while I'm talking, blondie! You should always get medical treatment after a mission. You don't know how much damage you've taken until your Aura stops working." Orchid returned the penlight to her medical kit. "Have you heard of cherry tapping? It's when you're fighting strong while your Aura is just on the verge of bottoming out. Then you stub your toe and suddenly _–BAM—_ blood begins to come out of every hole in your body!"

Despite herself, Yang snickered. "I think you're exaggerating a little too much."

Huffing, the elderly medic crossed her arms in front of her chest. "People who rely on their Aura too much are just asking for trouble. I've treated people who were beat almost half to death without their Aura even being touched."

This time, it was Ruby Rose who reacted. "That's possible? I thought that Aura was like a protective shield." The young girl tilted her head to the side in confusion.

Suddenly, Blake spoke up. "I knew a person who had a supersonic scream for his Semblance. Aura doesn't impede sound, so anyone who heard it suffered its full effects." Yang wondered if the person in question was like some sort of bat-faunus.

Then Weiss threw in her two liens. "There's also simple suffocation by strangulation. Even if a person has no damage to their Aura, they still need to breathe. There's also special martial art techniques that are said to be able to bypass a person's protective Aura." Having contributed to the conversation enough, the diminutive heiress returned to her own business.

"Wow!" Ruby exclaimed, her mirrored eyes sparkling in the sunlight. Watching her sister so excited to learn new things almost made Yang's suffering worthwhile. If only the subject wasn't so morbid. Yang shook her golden gowned head ruefully.

"Well," Nurse Orchid began packing the rest of her medical supplies back into her pack "I can't find any more reason for concern. As far as I can tell, your injuries are no longer life-endangering. I don't know when it happened, but your Aura must've recovered enough to heal the rest of your body."

Yang remembered how Raven had gifted her with Aura. While she regretted how much the act had hurt Raven, Yang was thankful to her mysterious benefactor. There was something comforting about the memory of her hand on Yang's crown. It felt reassuring, feeling the strength in those hands. Offering a quick prayer for Raven's safety, Yang threw her singed comforter off her bare legs.

Stepping off the short ladder, Nurse Orchid reached the floor and tucked her medical supplies underneath her arm. When Yang leaped off the bed and landed on her feet, she discovered that Orchid was almost a full head shorter. Suddenly irked, Yang thought _"Just how many times in a week will I be schooled by short people?"_

Keeping her irritation to herself, Yang extended a hand toward Orchid. The petite nurse gripped Yang's open hand and shook it up and down. "If you need any prescriptions for pain pills, don't hesitate to ask." Orchid advised. Then she turned and marched out the dorm room, closing the door behind her. Yang watched her leave; then looked at her teammates.

Team RWBY's leader, and Yang's half-sister, Ruby Rose was dressed in her normal attire: a Goth-styled black blouse and black combat skirt with red frillings. She was never without her signature scarlet riding cloak, pinned to her blouse with silver crosses. Silver eyes twinkled beneath a head of short black hair, with highlights as red as her name.

A cursory glance at the rest of Team RWBY revealed that everyone was in their normal attire. A black bow sat atop of Blake Belladonna's long, inky hair. Beneath this inconspicuous bow was hidden a pair of real cat ears, the mark of her faunus heritage. She wore an ebony vest with coattails over a white sleeveless undershirt. White tights hugged the curves of her hips. She wore black and purple gradient stockings. Blake walked in black low-heel boots to the open windows. She knelt down and blew a gentle breath on the butterfly warming itself in the sunbeam. After casting the butterfly outside, she sat down where it was resting in the sun and gazed outside with thoughtful, canary-yellow eyes.

Weiss Schnee was clothed in a snowy dress and a powder blue bolero jacket. The back of her fashionable coat was adorned with the snowflake emblem that she shared with the Schnee Dust Company. Weiss sported a light blue combat skirt with fair frills. Her ponytail was off-center, the only outward sign of her rebellion against her father's notorious reputation.

Only Yang was still wearing her pajamas. Suddenly, she felt like a slob with her messy golden hair and loose-hanging clothing. Still, she had to ask "How come nobody is dressed in their school uniform?"

Ruby let loose a snort and a laugh. "Yang, are you still asleep? Do you think they're going to have classes right after yesterday's attack, silly sis?" She whooped in laughter and hugged her stomach. Yang felt as about as smart as a Neanderthal picking its nose.

"I guess I'm still waking up." Yang scratched the back of her head and laughed.

Basking in the sunbeam, Blake kicked her long legs out the window and sat with her feet dangling outside. She announced "There will be an awards ceremony today for all the soldiers who fought in the attack yesterday. We were already dressed up for the occasion before we tried to wake you up."

That was when Weiss made her business known. Strutting in high heels, the short successor made her way over to her friends with a mahogany lock-box in her hands. Speaking in a high voice, Weiss addressed her friends. "We're going to be on stage in front of the whole school. The ceremony will be broadcasted into every television in the four kingdoms. That is why I've made it my mission to make sure that everyone is looking their absolute best for the ceremony!"

Weiss rested her butt on her bed and sat the box in her lap. She opened the box and flipped the lid open. Within were various colors of makeup, jewelry, and nail polish. The young girl dipped four pale fingertips into four different shades of tan. She held her colored fingertips up to Yang's face, comparing the colors to the blonde's skin tone. Weiss sniffed in displeasure. "You're going to have to wear some heavy concealer over your bruises."

Remembering how her face looked in her dream, Yang cringed. "How bad is my face?"

Reaching into the makeup box, Weiss produced a small hand-mirror and offered it to Yang. Plucking the mirror out of Weiss's hand, Yang squeezed her amethyst eyes shut and turned the polished silver surface toward herself.

"Your bruises aren't actually that bad." Weiss whispered reassuringly upon seeing her friend's anguish.

Without a doubt, Yang's face was not even comparable to how it appeared in her dream. Rather than a road-map of painful bruises and swelling, her face was now much easier on the eyes. There was still some discoloration around her nose, cheeks, and eye, but otherwise Yang's face was fine. Offering another prayer for Raven's wellbeing, Yang returned the mirror to Weiss.

Yang didn't even want to imagine how her teammates would have reacted if Raven hadn't healed her injuries. If Ruby had seen how much punishment her sister had sustained, then she probably would have fainted. What would have been worse than the pain would have been the gentle sorrow. If the rest of her teammates had seen Yang at her worst, then they might have lost confidence in her. As leader, Ruby would have used her power to protect Yang, rather than the other way around. There was nothing more that she hated than being pitied. Yang couldn't bear the thought of her friends doubting her. Even if she was exhausted, even if her body ached, she would put on airs and say everything was fine.

Ruby crossed her arms in front of her chest and puffed her round cheeks. "I hate make-up. I refuse to wear any of it." Somehow, this reaction surprised nobody at all. It was clear to everyone that Ruby was more interested in fighting and killing the creatures of Grimm more than caring for her appearance. If Ruby were ever to sustain a scarring injury, the young girl would most likely wear the wound with pride. The fact that she hasn't yet been marked by battle was only a testament to her skill with her sniper-scythe.

"Aw, that's okay." Yang wrapped her arms around Ruby's petite body and tried to crush her sister in a mighty embrace. Ignoring her sister's need for oxygen, Yang nuzzled Ruby's puffed up cheeks with her nose. "You don't have to wear make-up. You're a cutie-patootie even without it!"

"…Pweez shtop…" Ruby gasped in tremendous agony. Her silver eyes rolled up into the back of her skull as Death approached the young Huntress. Somehow, Ruby always knew that this would be the way she died.

While Yang was still committing fratricide, Weiss interjected. "I'm afraid that's not an option today, Ruby. You're going to wear make-up whether you like it or not." She reached up and poked Ruby's puffed cheeks, forcing her to release what little air remained.

Finally releasing her sister from her lethal hug, Yang looked at Weiss with annoyance. "Who died and made you leader?" She put her hands on her hips while ignoring her sister's fresh corpse on the ground.

Stepping on top of Ruby's lifeless body for height, the short Huntress reached eye-level with Yang. "It's our solemn duty to look our best. The people of Vale will be looking up to us as heroines. And nobody wants a heroine to look like somebody who just got out of bed." Weiss thrust a finger in Yang's face, sneakily applying a color that perfectly matched Yang skin-tone directly over a small bruise.

"…Get off me…" Ruby wheezed. "…I'm not dead yet…"

Blake watched her friends' antics from her perch in the window. Her citrine eyes held so much sorrow as she spoke up. "The ceremony isn't just giving awards to the people who fought in the battle. It's also a funeral service for those who lost their lives yesterday. We have to give them the respect they deserve."

It was like letting air out of a balloon. Weiss hopped off Ruby's body and helped her back to her feet. Yang turned away and mentally punched herself in the face. Even Ruby looked ashamed at her childish behavior. Blake looked back out the window, gazing at the cloudless blue sky. "I'm sorry for ruining everyone's fun." The cat-Faunus whispered.

"No, no, you're right," Ruby quickly pardoned "I was acting like a kid. I'll wear Weiss's clown make-up."

Purposefully ignoring the "clown" comment, Weiss motioned for Ruby to sit beside her. The team leader reluctantly obeyed the white-clad girl and rested her rear on the bed. Weiss consulted her wooden case of make-up held up a number of different shades of red next to Ruby's face. She smiled, satisfied with a certain selection. Setting aside the color, the snowy Huntress brought out a wide brush and dabbed it into the color. Finally, she tried to apply the blush on Ruby's cheeks. However, the red haired huntress twisted her head from side to side, foiling Weiss's efforts. It was like watching an infant that refused to be spoon-fed.

Grinning from ear to ear, Yang watched Ruby avoiding the brush while trying not to laugh. It wasn't long before Weiss was trying to grab Ruby's nose to hold her still. A high-pitched growl emitted from Ruby's throat. If Weiss thought that applying blush would be hard, then Yang was really looking forward to what was going to happen when she discovered Ruby's legendary aversion to lipstick.

* * *

><p>End Chapter 3: Sunrise<p>

A slow, non-indicative chapter helps lure readers into a sense of complacency. Let them get to reconnect with their favorite characters. Let the readers feel safe, knowing that their loved ones are just the same as they remember. Nobody has changed since you saw them last. There's nothing to fear now, they are all safe and sound.

The time for fear comes later.


	4. Epiphany

**Disclaimer**: _RWBY_ is not owned by me. It is owned by Rooster Teeth. This fan-fiction is not for profit.

**Warnings**: This fiction will be rated _T_ for bad language, fantasy violence, and mild sexual themes.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Requiem for Remnant<strong>_

_Chapter 3: Epiphany_

Ruby Rose walked out of the dorm room, leading her team into the hallway. On her face was a very modest amount of blush, some crimson eyeliner, and absolutely zero lipstick. Yang about laughed up a lung when Ruby tried to bite the waxy stick of paint. After giving up on the younger girl, Weiss had helped Yang apply some skin-colored concealer over her bruises. Then Yang let Weiss cake her face with yellow eyeliner and rose-red lipstick. Blake needed no help applying purple liquid eyeliner and some dark blush under her cheekbones.

"I feel like a clown." Ruby complained. Yang grabbed the top of Ruby's head and tousled her red-tipped hair. Her hands were weighed by Ember Celica once more. Yang was fully dressed in her combat clothes, the same as she had worn in her dream. Getting undressed in front of her teammates didn't bother Yang one bit. On the plus side, Weiss never failed to become dispirited whenever the blonde bombshell let the girls out in the open. The small girl's crestfallen expression was just one of Yang's simple pleasures.

"You look so pretty, little sis." Yang complemented. Ruby grumbled underneath her breath and didn't make any attempt to wipe her face.

"Alright, alright, the stupid fake face dust can stay. But we're getting dessert after this ordeal is over." She announced. The only way that Weiss was able to apply the crimson eyeliner was by bargaining with her defiant sufferer. Once the ceremony was over, Weiss was going to treat everyone to a restaurant of Ruby's choice.

Sighing in exhaustion, Weiss could only say "Whatever you want, just lead the way to the auditorium. Headmaster Ozpin wanted all the teams to gather before the ceremony." Then she fell in line behind the younger girl as Ruby began marching down the hallway. Blake stepped out of the doorway and looked at Yang. Her pointed stare seemed to pierce through the blonde.

"Are you alright, Yang? You seemed a little out of it, earlier." The feline female inquired. Her intuition was really something to behold. Yang shrank away from Blake's burrowing eyes.

"I'm fine, I'm fine!" Yang lied. Cat-like eyes narrowed severely. Unable to hide the truth from the curious cat, but unwilling to discuss her dream quite yet either, Yang tossed out a lame excuse. "Actually, my injuries are kind of sore. I think I'm going to take up Nurse Orchid's offer on pain pills." It wasn't a total lie; Yang's ribs were feeling tender to the touch.

Judging by her doubtful expression, Blake didn't look like she bought it. But she didn't press the issue. "Hurry over to the nurse's office. I'll tell the girls to not to wait up for you." Then she walked down the hall, her long black hair flowing behind her with every step.

Unfortunately, Yang had now caught herself in a bind. If she didn't get those pain killers, Blake would definitely become suspicious. Sighing in annoyance, the tall blonde walked in the opposite direction that her teammates had taken. As she wandered, her thoughts were occupied by her dream.

"Beacon is not safe." Those were the last words that Raven had screamed last night. Yang was sure of it. There was no doubt that the dream was real, that there had been a meeting last night. It didn't seem impossible; scientists were still discovering new things about the metaphysics surrounding human souls. Yang has heard of more outlandish things happening. But there was something about the events in the sleeping world that gave Yang reason to consider Raven's words of warning.

For starters, Raven had known Yang's name. How did Raven come by that knowledge? There was something very peculiar about Raven's behavior. She acted as though she knew Yang from somewhere. But Yang has never before met anyone that looked quite so similar to herself. Raven did say that appearances in the dream world were misleading. But it felt like there was something more to it than that. Yang's own appearance had matched exactly how she pictured herself. There was more than just Raven's behavior that made Yang apprehensive.

_Beacon is not safe._ That was a mighty accusation to heave at what was supposed to be the safest place in Vale. What sort of danger could possibly lurk in these pristine halls? This academy was home to thousands of Hunters in training. Fourth year students such as Team CFVY were already famous for their remarkable achievements in the field of battle. This was before they even graduated as fully fledged Hunters. Not only that, but the Vytal Festival had brought countless more students from other combat schools. Who knows how powerful these foreigners could be? On top of that, the Atlesian military was currently occupying the city. The robotic soldiers were tirelessly tracking down every remaining creature of Grimm that might still be running amok the streets of Vale. Aiding them was the Atlesian Air Force, providing the ground units with aerial reconnaissance and airborne sniper support. Finally, at the very top of the totem was Headmaster Ozpin himself. Admittedly, it was difficult to separate fact from fiction when it came to the Headmaster's accomplishments. The man himself was more humble than he had any right to be. But if even a quarter of his supposed feats were true, then Beacon Academy was guarded by the most powerful Hunter in the world. _How could Beacon be unsafe?_ There were so many questions that Yang wanted to ask Raven.

Take for example, what was the deal with Aura sharing? Never before had Yang heard of any such thing happening. It didn't make any sense to her. If it was possible for two people to share their Aura, then why was it not something taught in Beacon Academy? You'd think that healing other people with Aura would be something they taught everyone, right? It sounded like excellent first-aid material. Yang hasn't exactly cracked open a medical book before, but even still. What were the "certain circumstances" that Raven had alluded to? Raven had started sharing her Aura without any special preparation. The required conditions couldn't be _that_ circumstantial, could it? Yang wondered if she would see her mysterious patron again.

Mind full of questions, Yang was surprised when she found herself standing in front of the nurse's office. For a moment, Yang was confused as to why she even made the trip. Then she remembered that she promised Blake to get pain medication. Gritting her teeth in annoyance, Yang thought angrily _"I don't want them and I don't need them."_ Powering through the pain was Yang's normal _modus operandi_. It might seem overly macho, but she didn't care. Yang's Semblance only got stronger the more damage she suffered. If it meant that nobody else got hurt, Yang would gladly absorb all the blows and bullets.

Still though, a promise is a promise. Relaxing her jaw, Yang unenthusiastically swung her hand toward the doorknob. Before she could grab the protrusion, the door swung open by itself. Standing directly behind the door was the petite medical assistant, Nurse Orchid herself.

"Are you coming in? Or were you just going to stand in front of my door and ground your teeth round?" Lips pursed tightly, the elderly nurse rested her fist on her hip.

Sighing explosively, Yang extended her hand palm up. "Can you just gimme some freaking pain killer?" she asked impatiently.

Nurse Orchid's nostrils flared. "No, I can't just _gimme_ you medication!" she snapped. The bite-sized chocolate medic stepped aside and gestured Yang to enter her office. Groaning as loudly as she could, Yang kicked her legs inside with as much sass as she could muster.

The office was smaller than Yang expected. There were only two beds, a couple of child-sized chairs, and a computer with a holographic display in the corner. There was a wheeled chair next to the computer screen. In another corner was a metal cabinet with a simple combination lock. Inside must be where Nurse Orchid stored her drugs. Ember Celica swung recklessly as the seventeen year old Huntress in training staggered around the office like a drunken gorilla. Yang wanted nothing more than to grab a fist full of bottled prescriptions and take off running. Would Blake question Yang if she had some medications to show her?

"Are you always such a baby at the doctors?" The violet-haired nurse asked incredulously.

"_Yes_, and that's why you should just give me some stupid pills." Yang was determined to get out of this promise as soon as possible. If she had to act like a baby, then so be it. Yang expected the nurse to give her some pain meds as fast as possible, if only to get the rambunctious blonde out of her violet hair.

What she didn't expect was for Nurse Orchid to haul off and slap Yang directly on her generous butt-cheeks. The young woman nearly hit the ceiling. Yelping, she bolted away and grabbed her ample ass with both hands. Her amethyst eyes were wide with fright as she cowered away from the brown-skinned nurse.

"You spanked me!" Yang cried out as she pressed her back against the wall.

"All babies get treated the same way in _my_ office." Nurse Orchid stated simply. "Now are you going to keep rampaging, or do you need another helping?" She raised her open hand suggestively. Yang immediately sat her tender tush in the nearest child-sized chair, her knees up to her chin. Smiling victoriously, Orchid pulled her wheeled chair in front of Yang's quaking form and sat in it, short legs crossed. "If you behave, I'll give you a lollipop."

"_I have never been so humiliated before in my life."_ Yang thought aghast. _"I could fight that ice-cream bitch a hundred more times and still never step foot in here again."_

Finally getting down to business, the nurse just asked some simple questions like "How would you rate your pain on a scale of one to ten?" and "Do you have any allergies to any medication?" and "Do you want a lemon or strawberry lollipop?"

Five minutes later, sucking on a lemon-flavored lollipop, Yang held a bottle of 500mg Tylenol in her possession. Her humiliation had subsided somewhat, so Yang was no longer a quivering mess of a woman. Still, she made a solemn vow to never misbehave in the doctor's office again. Yang couldn't even remember the last time she had been seen by a medic. It just wasn't in her personality to let someone else take care of her. That didn't work as an excuse for her behavior though.

"Um… I'm sorry for being a brat." Yang apologized sheepishly. Nurse Orchid only laughed.

"Yang, darling," the elderly woman chuckled "you are not the first Huntress to be too proud for her own health. I'm actually on loan from Vale's Mercy hospital. I yo-yo between the hospital and Beacon Academy all the time. I get to treat Hunters day in and day out. You wouldn't believe how many Grimm-killing-machines break down and lose their minds when made to sit on a doctor's table." Grinning widely, Nurse Orchid divulged with glee "I even had one Hunter, _a grown-ass man_, try to use his Aura to avoid being poked by a needle." The mental image was too much for Yang. In an instant, she was howling in laughter right beside Nurse Orchid. Tears rolled down both their faces. Weiss would be furious to see Yang's makeup ruined thusly.

Alright, so maybe Yang could visit this sassy nurse every once in a while. The laughter tapered off, leaving Yang breathless. Giggling, she threw her arms around the short, old woman. Orchid wiped a hearty tear from her crinkled eye and accepted the hug.

It was then that Yang realized that she had a medical expert right in front of her. The opportunity to answer one of Raven's mysteries was literally squeezed up against her boobs. Yang was thunderstruck at her own ineptitude. _"Is stupidity just a phase I'm going through?"_ she thought in amazement.

Releasing Orchid from the warm embrace, Yang gripped her by the shoulders and had to stop herself from shouting. Taking a second to recollect her composure, the excited blonde threw a question at the bewildered nurse.

"Hey quick question, how does Aura sharing work?" Yang almost exploded with anticipation.

Violet eyebrows furrowed for a moment; then Orchid began to speak. The more she lectured Yang on Aura sharing, the more confused the blonde became.

"I hope I don't have to explain how pregnancy works, right? Okay, when a mother has been pregnant with her baby for about thirteen weeks, she is in the second trimester. This is when the baby's nervous system begins to work.  
>At week nineteen, mothers-to-be may feel their baby begin to move about now. It's a magical time for every birthing mother. It's also when women get exhausted, constipated, dizzy, hyperventilated, and their mammary glands grow.<br>Now, the baby doesn't have its own Aura yet. The mother has to share her Aura during this time, which is why they're so exhausted. The baby's natural Aura has to be jump-started by the mother's Aura. Then the baby begins to create its own Aura while cocooned in their mother's Aura. It's very stressful for the mother, but the good news is that she may feel a sense of spiritual connection with the baby. You may not understand yet, but you will."

"I don't understand." Yang whispered. "Are you sure you're talking about Aura sharing?"

Frowning, Orchid put her hands on her hips. "Did you not hear me just say Aura a bunch of times?"

"I mean—yeah—but what about after the baby's born? I mean, I mean, what about two grown adult— complete strangers— sharing their Aura?" Yang's head suddenly felt like it weighed a metric ton. She could barely keep her skull upright. Unbidden tears trembled in her amethyst eyes. Her chest was tight with a hollow pain and she felt like she couldn't breathe. Her skin paled sheet white. Nausea threw the whole world sideways. She gripped her stomach and tried to hold onto her breakfast.

A look of concern crossed Orchid's face. She tried to answer, but what she said only made Yang worse.

"Two complete strangers can't share Aura. Only two people with perfectly compatible Aura can actively trade."

No…

((…She left me with him right after I was born…))

…It couldn't be…

((…No one had seen her since…))

…wasn't true…

((…It was all I thought about…))

…I held her in my arms…

((…To this day, I still want to know what happened…))

_Raven can't be my_—

((…why she left me…))

The last sentence did Yang in.

"Such perfect compatibility is only possible between mother and child."

Yang vomited on the office floor.

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><p>End Chapter 3: Epiphany<p>

The RWBY series doesn't hold many surprises for its fandom. Everyone had predicted that Blake was a faunus all the way back since her debut trailer. Penny being a robot was not a bombshell either, being that the audience had already figured it out long before she outed herself. Even now, Raven being Yang's mother has been so obvious that hardly anyone will be taken by surprise if this turns out to be true. I'd be more surprised if Raven _wasn't_ Yang's mother.

Plot twists that aren't meant to be twists for the audience are called _internal reveals_. These take a lot of care to set up, and can be ruined by the smallest mistake. I'm glad I got the chance to try and pull off an internal reveal myself, if only for the practice that I'll need later.

Please read and review. Tell me if you liked how I handled this internal reveal. I need the constructive criticism to improve my writing.


	5. Penumbra

**Disclaimer**: _RWBY_ is not owned by me. It is owned by Rooster Teeth. This fan-fiction is not for profit.

**Warnings**: This fiction will be rated _T_ for bad language, fantasy violence, and mild sexual themes.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Requiem for Remnant<strong>_

_Chapter 4: Penumbra_

The sound of excited voices echoed down Beacon Academy's halls. Three of the four members of Team RWBY walked side by side and chatted in anticipation. The loudest voice belonged to Ruby Rose, chirping animatedly as she led her team toward Beacon's Amphitheater. Always prim and proper, Weiss Schnee spent half her energy talking with her friends and the other half making sure Ruby didn't smudge her makeup. Even the ever-silent Blake Belladonna couldn't keep the enthusiasm out of her voice as the doors to their destination came in sight.

Barely containing a squeal, the young leader of RWBY sped ahead of her teammates. A trail of red rose petals fluttered to the floor in her wake. As Ruby waited impatiently by the doors, Weiss and Blake shared a giggle at their leader's exuberant antics.

Blake Belladonna stopped and gazed behind her, searching the expanse of hallways for any sign of Yang Xiao Long. The fourth member of their team had not yet caught up. Yang said that she had to grab some medication to treat her painful injuries. Her words sounded less than sincere to Blake, but prying wouldn't accomplish anything. When the blonde Huntress was ready to talk about whatever was bothering her; then she would open up by her own violation.

"You two are so-o-o slow!" Ruby hopped in place, her crimson cloak bouncing with every jump.

The snow white heiress, Weiss Schnee, tried to mask her own thrill with a weary sigh. "Ruby, please tell me that you're going to behave while you're on camera." She grabbed her red-cloaked friend by the shoulders in an effort to keep her in place. Unable to achieve lift-off in her imprisonment, Ruby resorted to merely vibrating with every fiber of her body.

"O-f-c-o-u-r-s-e-I-w-i-l-l!" she chattered as she shook. Then speaking normally, "That's why I have to work out all my excess energy now!"

-Looking behind Weiss, the hyperactive girl waved at her distant teammate. "Stop trailing so far behind, Blake!"

Yellow eyes returned forward. "I was just worried about your sister." Blake explained as she approached her friends.

Ruby rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Yang will be fine. She's the strongest out of us all."

Sniffing in disapproval, Weiss released the galvanized girl from her grasp. She turned away, folding her arms in front of her petite body. "Strongest or not, Yang should have gotten medical treatment before retiring to sleep. We both lost our respective fights on that train; but I was smart enough to get a check-up."

"That's never been Yang's style." Ruby snorted in dismissal. "She's always hated going to the doctors. She would always cause a ruckus while being dragged to the hospital. Whether it was a split lip, or skinned knuckles, my big sis would rather get sick than let someone give her a check-up."

Curious, the cat-faunus questioned "Did that happen often?"

Laughing loudly, Ruby answered with a proud grin. "You bet it did. Dad taught Yang how to be a boxer, and he wasn't gentle about it. Yang wanted to be stronger than anyone, so she never let him go easy on her. That might have something to do with why Yang's Semblance turned out the way it did." It has been proven that upbringing plays a part in shaping a child's Semblance. Ruby leaned in and whispered "If Daddy didn't have a combat teaching license, he might've been investigated for child abuse."

The monochrome pair cringed painfully and fidgeted in their shoes. Forcing an incredibly fake giggle, Weiss tried to put a brighter spin on Yang's brutish activities. "She probably just wanted to be strong enough to protect you, Ruby."

Oblivious to her friends' discomfort, Ruby smiled. "Well, duh. There's also that Yang loves to win and hates to lose. The fact that she's just lost a fight has gotta hurt. I'm placing bets now; Yang is going to spend all of her spare time training at the gym to get stronger."

Then red leader turned around and pushed open the double doors leading into the amphitheater. Shrugging her small shoulders, Weiss followed her through the doors. The concern in Blake's eyes didn't diminish. She spared one more glance behind her. Then, she stepped inside Beacon Academy's amphitheater.

The inside of the amphitheater was as vast and spacious as a coliseum. Numerous people's voices echoed off the glass dome overhead. Visible through the glass dome, the sun shone brightly in the clear blue sky. Tall raised bleachers circled the entire perimeter, providing enough room to seat thousands. The entire student population could sit above the voluminous combat arena. There were holographic displays circling the arena, cleared of visual data for now. The raised stage of the auditorium was set up against a tall, ornate backdrop decorated with glowing azure crystal towers.

Team RWBY wasn't the only ones inside the cavernous stadium. There were many groups of people, teams of Hunters from Beacon Academy. Ruby didn't recognize most of them, but she did spot Team JNPR meandering around the edge of the crowd. "Hey, let's go talk to Jaune and his team." Ruby chirped as she walked over. Weiss made a little noise of disapproval upon hearing the young Hunter's name, but approached the friendly team nonetheless with Blake in tow.

Another first-year team, JNPR was lead by the Jaune Arc and comprised of Nora Valkyrie, Pyrrha Nikos, and Lie Ren. Ruby waved her hand in the air as the two teams met. Both leaders were fast friends even before the teams were formed.

"How goes it, Ruby?" Jaune greeted. The blond-haired, blue-eyed youth was wearing his usual white breastplate over a black hoodie with orange sleeves. Twin pallid pauldrons protected his broad shoulders. His sword and shield combo, Crocea Mors, hung from his belt. Surprisingly, he had apparently added some new armor in the form of white shin-guards, strapped around his blue jeans.

Ruby returned the greeting saying "Pretty good. This crowd is huge. I'm really feeling my social awkwardness right now."

"Why do you think I'm standing away from the crowd?" Smiling like a dork, Jaune admitted "I've never gotten an award before. I hope my Dad is watching the broadcast." He ran an absentminded finger along the length of Crocea Mors, hanging from his hip.

"Just try not to lose your lunch, vomit boy." Ruby playfully jabbed an elbow into the boy's ribs. She could brag about winning an award before, but for some reason 3rd place in a spelling bee didn't seem like quite the same caliber as what everyone was preparing to be honored.

Never one to miss an opportunity, Weiss stepped up to Jaune. "Please, _don't_ embarrass the rest of us in front of the whole of Remnant." Then she turned to the tall redhead standing beside the rest of his team. "Follow Pyrrha's example, I imagine she's quite experienced at award ceremonies."

The recipient of such glowing complements was Pyrrha Nikos. Tall, slender, and graceful, Pyrrha was deemed to be the strongest out of all the first-year students. Her flowing flame-colored locks were tied into a waist-length ponytail, keeping her hair out of her eyes in combat. Upon her head was a bronze circlet headpiece forged in the shape of flames. Her pale neck was covered by a bronze plated gorget band. She wore an off-the-shoulders leather cuirass over a bronze corset. Around Pyrrha hips were a crimson skirt and ankle-length drapery. Bronze greaves protected her knees and legs. Pyrrha's weapon, a triple-action spear-sword-rifle named Miló, and her hopion shield Akoúo̱, were locked against her back by her magnetic Semblance.

"Well," Pyrrha began, smiling at everyone with pearly white teeth. "It's my belief that _everyone_ here deserves this award ceremony." Her response was quite characteristic of her. She never failed to try and support everyone's sense of accomplishment, while never taking credit for her own achievements. One would think that Pyrrha had an allergy against being complemented.

All of the sudden, a disturbing growl erupted one of the remaining two members of JNPR. Short and feisty and pink were the only three words needed to describe Nora Valkyrie. Brilliant turquoise eyes shined beneath a head of short, orange hair. She wore a white, sleeveless blouse with a heart-shaped keyhole. The pink aspect of Nora's description came from her bubblegum pink skirt and matching -fingerless gloves. On her lower back was a grey bow with trailing ribbons. Around Nora's shoulders and back was her metal weapon harness, where there was attached her grenade-launcher Trans warhammer, Magnhild.

The growl didn't come from the ginger firecracker's mouth, but her stomach. She held a hand over her belly and rubbed circles around it. "I don't feel so good." Nora groaned loudly. She covered her mouth with her other hand, as if fighting the urge to vomit. To the entirety of Team RWBY's surprise, nobody on Team JNPR seemed to be paying her any attention.

"What's the matter with you, Nora?" inquired Ruby.

Another stomach-churning gurgle erupted out of the short Huntress. "I think it was something I ate." Nora fired a furious glare at her female teammate. Surprise upon surprise, Pyrrha only crossed her arms in front of her chest and looked completely unsympathetic to Nora's suffering.

"Don't pay any attention to Nora," Pyrrha spoke sternly, "she's just throwing a tantrum because she didn't get to eat her normal breakfast."

Jaune spared Nora a half-concerned glance; then returned to Pyrrha's side. "Pyrrha wanted to celebrate before the ceremony. So she replaced Ren as the breakfast cook and wiped us up some of her native kingdom's traditional food."

"It's called _avgolemono_, and it's a time-honored soup that my mother used to make when I was growing up in Mistral." Pyrrha explained.

Nora gripped her stomach with both hands and belched out a fresh groan. "Just hearing that _unpronounceable name_ of that putrid poison is causing me pain!" she wailed. Her butterball face squeezed tightly, contorted by some immense agony beyond human comprehension.

"What's in it?" Blake wondered out loud.

"There's chicken, broth, egg yolks, rice, and a bunch of hand-cut vegetables. You add lemon juice for flavor." Pyrrha listed off the ingredients while ticking off each one with her fingers.

"It sounds delicious!" the cat-faunus exalted.

"Thank you very much, but I think my mother made it better." Pyrrha smiled. Again, it was like she had an automatic reaction to deflect anything resembling praise.

Butting into the conversation, Weiss said "It sounds like it would be very healthy for you."

"It provides enough nutrition to get you through the day." Pyrrha beamed. As a prodigious athlete, the redheaded Huntress was always mindful of her diet. Even when surrounded by the likes of Jaune and Nora, both notorious snacky eaters, Pyrrha maintained a healthy regime of morning exercise and nutritious food. Of course, not even she can resist Lie Ren's cooking once in a while.

"If it's so healthy," Nora began in a low voice, "_then_ _why am I dying?_" she bawled at the top of her lungs. The dramatic outburst fell upon deaf ears.

Unable to garner compassion from the women, Nora turned to the only remaining person who might be of help. Having to reach almost above her head, the carroty spitfire grabbed Lie Ren squarely by the shoulders. "Please, Ren, you have to help me?" she whined. She craned her neck back and gazed up at his face with theatrical tears trembling on her lids.

Cool magenta eyes locked with Nora's weepy turquoise orbs. The tall, dark-haired man was a head above the ailing drama queen. Lie Ren was dressed in a forest green _changshan_ robe, with black trimming. The length of his long sleeves ended with pink cuffs. He wore a simple, white baggy kung-fu pants and black _Tai-Chi_ slippers. His hair was tied up into a ponytail and there was one lock of his bangs was dyed violet.

A remorseful expression fell upon the quiet Hunter's face. Nora released his shoulders and grabbed his arm. She pulled the cuff of his sleeve down and tilted her head sideways. Peering into Ren's sleeves, Nora cried "You've gotta have a snack or something stuffed in these things! There's room enough in here." Instead of food, Nora found herself looking down the barrel of Lie Ren's automatic pistols, Stormflower.

"I apologize; Nora," Ren spoke softly "but I didn't pack my sleeves with pancakes today."

"How could you betray me like this, Ren?" Sinking until her knees hit the floor, Nora's weakening hands dragged down the front of Ren's robes. Gasping, she whispered "I—I trusted you." Her head sank lower and lower as she fell into a heap of crumbled Nora. Her fingers twitched once.

Gazing down at the prone body of the melodramatic Huntress, Ruby quipped "Looks like you've got a vacancy in your team, Jaune."

"I'll post wanted ads tomorrow."

"…y—you m—monsters…" came a low voice from the floor.

Finally taking pity upon the fading firecracker, Ruby reached behind her back and retrieved a package of cookies she had bought from a vending machine. She unwrapped the crinkled package, knelt down before Nora's open mouth, and deposited a chocolate chip cookie into the wide hole.

The effect was immediate and energetic. Leaping into the air, Nora chomped down upon the dessert and licked her lips. She landed on her feet and Ruby handed the whole package to the revived ginger. Tears in her eyes, Nora wrapped her arms around Ruby's petite body and squeezed her hard enough to rival Yang's hugs. Great wet orbs rolled over Nora's rosy cheeks. "Thank you so much, Ruby! You're a true friend!" she sniffled whilst slowly murdering her savior.

Desperate for air, Ruby slapped Nora's arms. The emotional Huntress seemed to take this as an invitation for even more powerful hugs. Alas, the world's most dangerous fifteen years old was also the world's most huggable fifteen years old. _"At least death by Grimm would have been fast."_ the thought running through Ruby's oxygen deprived brain. Then Nora released the dwindling life from her mighty embrace and popped another cookie into her mouth.

Feeling slowly returned to Ruby's biceps. A smile pulled at her lips as Ruby watched Nora wolf down the cookies. "You're welcome; I just wish I had pancakes for you."

A short laugh erupted out of Nora. "Cookies are pretty much just small and crunchy pancakes made with brown sugar." Then she gasped and grasped Ruby's small hands. Staring intently into silver eyes, Nora declared "You _need_ to try Ren's chocolate chip pancakes! They will blow your taste buds right off your tongue!"

The two of them squealed in anticipation. Both short sugar-addicts turned and stared at Lie Ren simultaneously. Silver and Turquoise teamed up against Magenta. Magenta averted, beads of sweat running down the back of his neck. Turning to his male comrade, Magenta sought sanctuary with Blue. Blue looked eagerly at Magenta. There was no escape.

Pyrrha slowly shook her bronze crowned head back and forth. Her crimson ponytail swung like a pendulum. "It won't hurt you to eat healthy, Nora. You're not going to be young forever."

"Yeah, yeah," Nora said dismissively "Ruby, where's your big sis?"

Ruby stood on her tippy toes and scanned the crowd. The blonde bombshell was still nowhere in sight. "I guess Yang hasn't caught up yet." Ruby tried to keep the worry out of her words, but it still crept into her voice.

"Did something happen to her?" Jaune asked worriedly.

Answering the question was Blake. "Yang was defeated in combat by a tiny girl named Neo. She took more damage than her Aura could heal. She's gone to the school nurse for medication to ease her pain."

Hand over her mouth, Pyrrha implored "Is she alright? I hope she wasn't too badly hurt." Yang was the strongest fighter on Team RWBY whereas Pyrrha was the strongest among Team JNPR. As the strongest of their respective teams, both women had a reputation to uphold. In the back of her mind, Pyrrha was secretly looking forward to the day when she might have a combat match with Yang. There was no doubt that the feeling was mutual.

"Her pride took the worst pounding." Ruby laughed weakly. Then she became straight up somber when she addressed her friends. "Whenever Yang loses a fight, she gets very short-tempered. So please, don't tell her you're sorry. Don't say anything about losing the fight. And don't say the name 'Neo' to her face."

It was then that Blake saw a familiar ray of sunshine hair in the crowd. "Speak of the dragon, and she appears." She stretched her hand far above her head and waved at her teammate. Yang turned her head to look at her, and then started walking in that direction. Her boots dragged along the floor like they were filled with lead.

Before anyone could stop her, Nora Valkyrie sprinted up to the meandering blonde and put a caring hand on Yang's shoulder. She gazed up at the tall Huntress with tender turquoise eyes. Her words were filled with genuine sadness. "I'm sorry you lost your fight with Neo."

Instantaneously, six different hands slapped over Nora's big mouth. Everyone turned to watch Yang's reaction. Ruby squeezed her eyes shut and gritted her teeth, bracing herself for the inevitable angry outburst.

"It doesn't matter." Yang muttered. Then she strode past her friends, lilac eyes glued to the floor.

One silver eye popped open and watched Yang pass. Jaune opened both of his baby blue eyes and exhaled his held breath. "I was expecting an explosion, not an implosion." Then the leader of JNPR grabbed Nora by the scruff of her neck. Holding her like a misbehaving kitten, Jaune hissed "Why did you do that, Nora? Now she feels worse!"

"Sorry!" Nora mewled feebly "I panicked! I didn't know what to say. So I said everything I was told not to say!"

"Well, tell her you're sorry." Jaune ordered.

Nora countered with "Very recent experience has taught me that _I'm terrible at apologizing!_"

Pyrrha gazed at Yang's back as the teenage Huntress wandered further away. "I had no idea that Yang was taking her loss this harshly. This is worse than I could have imagined." Looking at Ruby now, Pyrrha asked "How long does this usually last?"

"This?" Ruby gawked at her sister, mouth agape. "This has never happened. Yang doesn't get like this. She usually just blows up and works off her stress at the gym."

Weiss let her misty blue eyes linger on the withdrawing blonde. "Yang wasn't acting like this even earlier this morning. She was a little distracted, but otherwise completely normal. I wonder how strong the medication was." Powerful pain medication was known to make people act like they were in a daze.

Blake chased after Yang's retreating form, shoving her way through the crowd. She ran around Yang and stood in front of her, halting the wandering blonde's forward progress. Up close, Blake could see Yang's eyes. There was something wrong with her amethyst eyes that chilled Blake's bones. There was no light in her eyes, none of the wildfire that defined Yang's personality.

It was like she was dead.

Fighting the urge to embrace the bewildering beauty, Blake settled for grasping her shoulders. "Yang, what's wrong?" she asked the unnaturally quiet woman. Yang looked at Blake as if seeing her for the first time. When she failed to answer, Blake felt a pit growing in her stomach. "Did you go to the school nurse, and did she give you any strange medication?" Blake swore to report Nurse Orchid to Headmaster Ozpin if the nurse had given the fiery blonde any overpowered pain pills.

"I didn't get anything." Yang deadpanned.

Bisque slitted eyes wide open, Blake felt that sink in. "You said you were in pain. Why didn't you get any medication?"

"Forgot 'em."

Catching up to the two of them, Ruby threw her arms around Yang's hips. "What're you doing, big sis? You're supposed to stand by us, not run past us." She tried to sound angry, but the edge of her voice was blunted by worry. Weiss was not far behind, concern etched across her pale face.

"Sorry." Some focus returned to Yang's eyes after prolonged contact with Ruby. She grabbed Ruby's arms and pried them away from her waist. She turned around and looked down at her sister. Yang quickly stepped behind her sister. Then she picked up Ruby from behind and hid her face in her sister's cloak. Ruby expected a crushing hug, but the embrace was soft. The embrace felt fragile.

Yang was falling apart, to pieces, to ashes. She couldn't stop thinking about Raven, _about her mother_. She felt like she was trapped in a loop. She kept repeating the same reasoning, over and over again. Every thought was more poisonous than the last.

"_Raven didn't tell me her last name."_

"_I know that Qrow Branwen is my biological uncle."_

"_Her last name is Branwen, and she didn't tell me."_

"_I would have recognized her last name and made the connection."_

"_Raven doesn't want me to know that I'm her daughter because…"_

"_Raven doesn't want me."_

"_My own mother doesn't want me."_

Yang couldn't think of anything else. She couldn't break free from her own mind. It just kept on repeating, _ad nauseam_. She pressed her face into the back of Ruby's red riding hood. She held her breath tight in her chest. She was trying to suppress her sobs. She was trying to dry her eyes before anyone could see her tears.

"_Raven doesn't want me to know that I'm her daughter because…"_

She wanted out of this circular train of venomous thoughts.

"_Raven doesn't want me."_

Yang never felt so weak before in her life.

"_My own mother doesn't want me."_

She wanted to bury herself in the soft cloak. With her eyes closed, she could pretend it was white. It's been years since Yang missed Summer Rose this hard.

"_Raven didn't tell me her last name."_

Yang wanted Summer Rose back.

Ruby and her sister stayed like that. The moment dragged on. Team JNPR kept a respectful distance. The red-clad leader didn't know what to do with her teammate. She had no idea why her sister was holding her from behind, hiding her face from sight. What she did know was that Yang and Ruby were attracting a lot of _attention_ from the other crowd dwellers. Ruby's face became as red as her cloak. She was beginning to resemble a Goth strawberry.

Patting Ember Celica gently, Ruby tried to get Yang to release her. First she laughed uncertainly, and then Ruby whispered "Please put me down, Yang. My social anxiety is acting up." For a second, Yang didn't react. She started to lower Ruby back onto her feet. Her toes touched the ground briefly. Then Yang tossed Ruby up _even higher_ and held her little sister above her head by the ankles. The petite Huntress towered over everyone.

"Hey, everyone," Yang called out with a delicious laugh "take a look at my little sister! We're Team RWBY, the ones that caught Roman Torchwick! She's our leader! Ruby's the heroine of Vale!"

A roar of laughter and cheers erupted from the crowd. The rambunctious clamor echoed off the amphitheater's glass dome ceiling. Waving her arms to keep her balance, Ruby practically screamed "No, Yang, no, that's the _exact_ opposite of what I said!" Her red face almost glowed like a stoplight. Yang paraded Ruby around like a statue on a pole. They were in the very middle of the huge crowd, surrounded on all sides by laughter and clapping.

"Yang, put me down this instant! That's an order!" Ruby whined anxiously.

"C'mon Ruby, this is a time to celebrate! You're the bee's knees!" Yang squeezed Ruby's boots and spun around in circles. Ruby's crimson riding cloak unfurled and flapped like a flag. The two sisters both shrieked, but for different reasons.

"I dunno what's gonna make me vomit first. The spinning or the _mental breakdown_ I'm suffering!" The heroine of Vale wailed at the top of her lungs.

Weiss and Blake crowded around Yang and Ruby. They made no effort to help either one. Team JNPR surrounded the foursome and joined in the fun. Jaune was glad that the attention wasn't on him. Pyrrha had the same sentiment. Nora wanted to stand on top of Ruby's shoulders. Ren was holding Nora back by the ribbons on her skirt.

"Ru—by! Ru—by! Ru—by!" Yang hollered, punching the air with one hand. The crowd joined in, fists raised to the glass sky. They could have been saying "Ruby" or "RWBY", nobody was sure. Ruby alternated from flailing her arms to trying to hide her flushed face with her hands.

As long as Ruby was the center of attention, nobody would see Yang's eyes. They wouldn't see the red lining the amethyst. So Yang hoisted Ruby higher and higher, the silver-eyed Huntress shone like a lighthouse. It was always darkest underneath the lighthouse. Because, so long as Yang laughed and laughed, nobody could see her pain. Even if she was hurting, even if her heart ached, she would put on airs and act like everything was fine.

Yang could always play off her tears as ones of happiness.

* * *

><p>End Chapter 4: Penumbra<p>

Please read and review.


	6. Commemoration

**Disclaimer**: _RWBY_ is not owned by me. It is owned by Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth. This fan-fiction is not for profit.

**Warnings**: This fiction will be rated _T_ for bad language, fantasy violence, and mild sexual themes.

**Author's Notes**: I dedicate this chapter to Monty Oum. Goodbye, you beautiful soul. I will always miss you and grieve for what you could have made. I only wished that you could have read this chapter.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Requiem for Remnant<strong>_

Chapter 5: Commemoration

"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for attending this ceremony. Today, we honor the brave heroes and heroines of our fair city of Vale."

The voice echoed throughout the vast amphitheater. The speaker was the Headmaster of Beacon Academy, Professor Ozpin. He was a tall, middle-aged man with tousled mousy hair and sharp brown eyes. Beneath his eyes were shaded spectacles and a mirthless smile. Around his neck was a dark green scarf. He wore an open black suit over a gold-buttoned grey vest, with a green undershirt. Matching black slacks reached down to glossy ebony Oxford shoes. A cross-shaped crest adorned his scarf.

The Headmaster stood before a microphone level to his mouth. His willowy fingers clutched the polished silver head of his cane. Leaning on the long, platinum walking stick for support, Ozpin addressed the enormous captive audience in front of him. He looked upon his student body from the raised stage he shared with the heroes he mentioned. Behind him were a number of Hunter teams, waiting to be awarded with golden medals. Beside him was a long table, draped in white. Above his head, large holographic screens displayed the speech in progress. Every word Ozpin spoke, every move he made was being broadcasted into the family rooms across the Kingdom of Vale. He reached up with a slender hand and adjusted his spectacles.

"We stand together in the wake of a terrible assault upon our city. These brave men and women answered the call of duty and fought against the creatures of Grimm that invaded our homes."

The city of Vale was still being reconstructed. The relief effort was still rebuilding businesses and houses. The actual breach happened in the city square, during peak hours. Thousands of Grimm erupted out of the hole and swept across the city like a tidal wave of teeth and claws and burning eyes. Fortunately, the hole was closed within twenty minutes. Twenty minutes of intense combat, lead by Hunters and assisted by the Atlesian military forces.

"These heroes and heroines are the reason we still have a city. Men and women, boys and girls…"

Ozpin almost seemed to glare at the cameras.

"…humans and faunus alike…"

A disquiet murmur swept through the crowd. Anyone who knew the smallest thing about Professor Ozpin knew about his tendency to shoehorn the minority population into every speech he made. The man's support for the faunus was so great that he even allowed faunus students to be on the same team as humans. Political activists and news media alike labeled him as an animal lover. Cartoonists drew caricatures of Ozpin feeding faunus from a park bench like a doddering old man. Either the Headmaster didn't know that he was a laughing stock outside of Beacon, or he simply didn't care.

"…all battled courageously, side-by-side, until the threat had passed."

His words of praise echoed off the glass dome ceiling above the amphitheater. More often than not, his pointed commendation of the faunus would fall upon deaf ears. But even if he could only change one person's mind, then Ozpin would never stop trying.

"And so, we give our thanks to them. We will adorn them with medals of honor now. Then we will honor those we lost in the tragedy, while remembering that it could have been so much worse."

With that, the speech ended on a somber tone. Headmaster Ozpin stepped away from the microphone and approached the cloth covered table. He gripped the white cloth and drew it off with a dramatic flourish. Rows of golden medals glistened in direct sunlight. Each one was engraved with the twin crossed hatchets and olive branches that made up the Kingdom of Vale's crest.

"The first team of Hunters to be honored was also the first team on the scene. Would Team RWBY please step forward?"

Four lovely ladies stepped from the background and approached the table. Beacon's Headmaster saluted each of them, and they returned the salute. The holographic projections above the stage changed and displayed each of the four girls.

"Team RWBY is lead by Ruby Rose, Beacon Academy's youngest Huntress-in-training. She is followed by her older sister Yang Xiao Long, Weiss Schnee, and Blake Belladonna."

All four girls had their faces displayed in turn. Ruby smiled broadly at the camera. Weiss showed a controlled smirk. Blake gave the camera a curt nod. Yang blew a kiss straight at the whole city.

"It was Team RWBY that held the line completely alone against the creatures of Grimm. They were the ones who aided the evacuation of so many of our city's civilians."

The display changed and street camera views of their battle were broadcast throughout Vale. There was Weiss Schnee, creating a gigantic sword out of ice Dust and swinging it through a hoard of Grimm. Blake Belladonna was shown briefly, flickering in and out of the camera's view as she cleaved Beowolf after Beowolf apart. Yang was shown throwing a car at an Ursa, her brilliant sunny hair ablaze with her Semblance. For Ruby's part, there was very little to show besides Grimm being sliced to pieces by a flock of red rose petals. The cameras had a limited frame-per-second capture rate, and the speedy youth moved too fast to be caught on film properly.

"And they were the heroines that apprehended the perpetrator of the entire assault, Roman Torchwick."

Finally, the notorious criminal was shown being manhandled by Atlesian Knights. From the crowd in front of the stage, a chorus of boos and hisses erupted as soon as the ginger bowler hat wearing mastermind was displayed. On the screens, Team RWBY flanked the robotic soldiers and oversaw the carrot-topped monster being taken into custody.

"To Ruby Rose and her team, we bestow these medals in recognition of their distinguished service."

Picking up a medal by the ribbon, Ozpin turned to the leader first and foremost. Then he slipped the ribbon over Ruby Rose's black-cherry hair and let the weight of the medal drop onto her chest. Her cherub face was aglow with pride. She bounced on her heels once, then settled.

The crowd began to chant her name. "Ru—by! Ru—by! Ru—by!" They could have been saying "RWBY", but nobody was sure. The named girl's ears burned red as her cloak. She looked like she was waiting for the ground to open up and swallow her whole.

Next was the heiress of the Schnee Dust Company. Weiss Schnee clasped her hands in front of her skirt and graciously accepted the medal. She bowed her snow-capped head and allowed Ozpin to place the medal's ribbon around her neck. It was quite unusual for someone of her stature to become a Huntress. It was mind boggling to most people why Weiss chose to risk her life fighting creatures of Grimm; when she could have had an easy life as a rich socialite. As heiress to the largest Dust mining company, Weiss had no obligation to hunt monsters. But there she was on the holographic screens, crafting sharp swords and freezing spears out of ice Dust and slaying hoards of Grimm. The medal settled over her white blouse and the young woman smiled courteously at the camera.

Then Blake Belladonna was granted her medal. Before presenting the medal, the Headmaster fixated a meaningful stare at the bow upon her head. She gave him an imperceptible shake of the head. Ozpin's shoulders sank slightly, and then he placed the medal around Blake's neck.

Yang's medal proved to be somewhat troublesome. For starters, the blonde's hair was so large that Ozpin clearly struggled with fitting the ribbon around it. Next, the woman refused to stop waving and making kissy motions at the cameras. When the medal was finally resting upon her generous bosom, she reached behind her head and swept her hair out from underneath the ribbon. The golden strands caught the sunlight shining through the glass dome ceiling and formed a blazing halo around Yang's beautiful face. She gave one last kiss at the cameras, both hands on her lips, and then followed her team back to the sidelines. Ozpin watched her walk away with a strangely sympathetic expression.

"Next up, would Team JNPR approach the table?"

* * *

><p>High above Beacon Academy's three-spire central tower, the Atlesian flagship hovered. It was flanked on every side by a fleet of airships and gunships. It sailed on anti-gravity projections underneath its gigantic mechanical wings. From the command center, you could see the sun beginning to set over Vale's mountains.<p>

The commanding officer of the flagship was one General James Ironwood. He stood tall and with broad shoulders. His charcoal black hair was graying and worry lines were forming on his stone chiseled face. Above his right eyebrow, a metal plate was surgically infused to his skull. General Ironwood wore a white military suit, his coat adorned with service bars. His hands were clasped behind his back, his left hand bare and his right hand gloved. Steel blue eyes watched the ceremony from a large holographic display. The entire command center was watching the same broadcast.

There was a special guest aboard the command center. He was watching the display; jet black eyeliner underneath his jade eyes. His right eye was covered with long orange bangs. He was strapped to a gurney, hands and feet bound to the table. The gurney was flanked by two Atlesian Knights, armed with rifles. There was so much constraint binding this man that you could scarcely see his body. The only thing that wasn't strapped was his head. The General was tempted to put a gag in the man's venomous mouth, but let him speak.

"Look at all those people, booing when they heard my name. You'd think I did something wrong."

Roman Torchwick laughed; a high pitched giggle that made Ironwood's skin crawl. Bound and trapped as he was; the ginger criminal was still a monster responsible for so many dead. Dozens of civilians lost their lives yesterday, and this wasn't even anywhere close to the body count that Roman has racked up in his criminal career.

Turning away from the display, the general of the Atlesian military addressed his captive prisoner. "The council of Vale has passed judgment on you, Roman." Ironwood thundered. "You have been sentenced to death."

The cachinnating immediately ceased. Myrtle green eyes widened and Roman's mouth dropped open. He sucked in a shaky breath and didn't exhale.

"You will be transported to Black Citadel Detention Center, a high security facility on the outskirts of Vale, to wait out your sentence. Now, death is no less than you deserve," the General laid down the proposition "but I can lower your sentence if you agree to divulge everything about your employer."

Despite his taking credit for the mass outbreak of Grimm, General Ironwood didn't believe that Roman Torchwick thought up this catastrophe. That he was working with the White Fang led Ironwood to believe that someone else was mastermind. Roman Torchwick was famously, or rather infamously, an anti-faunus speciesist that only worked with humans. The White Fang was a faunus terrorist organization that only recruited other faunus. The two of them working together was like matter and anti-matter coexisting. Someone had to be behind this unholy matrimony. Someone had to be powerful enough to keep them from turning on each other.

All of the sudden Roman shouted "Bingo!"

This was not the reaction that Ironwood was expecting.

Wearing a shit eating grin, Roman laughed and hollered "Where's my Bingo card?"

Frowning, Ironwood asked "What are you going on about?"

"I've finally gotten a death sentence in all four kingdoms. That's the last thing I needed for this game of Evil Bingo I've been playing with the guys."

The general's frown deepened. Roman elaborated.

"See, this criminal named Cyan Moore has been hosting this game of Evil Bingo for the past year. You probably know him as C' No Moore because of his habit of _gouging_ the eyes out of his enemy's skulls. Anyways, if you get five things in a row you yell 'Bingo' and get to turn in the card for a prize."

The general's frown deepened even more. Roman just kept on talking.

"I hope I get a toaster."

The lines around Ironwood's mouth were cutting into his face.

"It's an evil toaster."

There were no words to describe.

"It burns all the bread."

"Enough!" Ironwood roared. The word reverberated around the command center. "Are you listening? I have just told you that you've been judged and you're going to be executed. Now I'm giving you a chance to escape that fate, and you ramble on about _evil bingo?"_

Cackling like a madman, Roman responded "Have _you_ been listening? I've got no less than _four death sentences._ That's one for each kingdom, including your kingdom of Atlas." The bound criminal chuckled darkly. "Besides, _existing_ out the rest of my days in a jail cell sounds _lame_. I've got no intention of living to see an old age. Judge all you want. We're all going to die, I intend to deserve it."

Ironwood gritted his teeth. He addressed the Knights standing beside the gurney. "Take this idiot back to his cell in the brig. Prepare him for transport. And put a muzzle over his mouth."

The Knights saluted the general and grabbed the stretcher. While being wheeled away, Roman called back "You're going to have to draw and quarter me! That way, every kingdom gets a piece of Roman Torchwick!"

His jovial laughter could be heard until the command center's blast doors sealed shut. General Ironwood released his teeth and relaxed his grip. Then he turned to the display, returning to his former posture. The award ceremony had ended. Now the funeral was about to begin.

* * *

><p>Six caskets were rolled out onto Beacon Academy's stage. Each one was draped in Vale's national flag. The entire amphitheater fell silent as each one stopped in a row. Headmaster Ozpin stepped aside and let the caskets take the stage. Above the heads of the crowd, the holographic displays showed six different faces. Ozpin spoke in the microphone.<p>

"Let us have a moment of silence."

All heads bowed in silent remembrance. The Hunters in the back of the stage placed their hands over their hearts. The moment passed and Ozpin returned to the center of the stage.

"These six brave souls were all protectors. They were police, not Hunters, but they exemplified the traits that Hunters are taught. Each of them gave their very lives to save as many civilians as they could from the creatures of Grimm. They did so, even when they were armed only with pistols and nightsticks."

The most powerful Hunter in the world turned and faced the funeral boxes behind him. He placed a tender hand on one and paused.

"To face such overwhelming odds, to fight in spite of the danger, these men and women are the most brilliant souls I ever wished I knew. When the stakes were raised, they went above and beyond their duty to protect. They sacrificed themselves so that others might live. There is no greater love than that."

Ozpin bowed his head again, his eyes lost behind his unruly mop of grey hair.

"Let us remember them as heroes. They will be posthumously awarded with the Cross of Vale, in honor of their sacrifice. And let us spend the effort to donate funds to their families, so that they might have some relief in their worst hours."

His hand left the casket, and then rose up to his forehead in a formal salute. The awarded Hunters joined Ozpin in his salute toward the caskets.

* * *

><p>"Gawd, could that speech be any <em>more<em> cheesy?" Emerald Sustrai groaned. She turned her head and looked at her couch-mate.

Mercury Black raised a hand and said "I would rate that a three drink speech."

"What, are you saying that you'd raise a toast for Ozpin?"

"No, I'm saying that I would need three drinks before I could watch that again."

Both of them burst out into laughter and returned their attention to the holographic television projection. Emerald played with the long locks her mint-green hair. Her eyes were red like cherries and her skin was as brown as chocolate. The Haven school uniform for girls was far too conservative for her tastes. She felt like her movements were being constricted by the tight-fit blouse. Not to mention fighting in a skirt was just asking for indecent accidents.

Mercury leaned back and put his boots on a short coffee table in front of him. He was perfectly comfortable in the black and grey uniform, if only because he knew it made him look handsome. The young man combed his fingers through his silver hair, smiling at the funeral in progress.

Simply watching television wasn't enough to occupy Emerald's time. She needed to keep her hands in motion. Emerald placed her sickle-revolvers; named Marjanah and Zumurrud, on the coffee table and produced a weapon cleaning kit. She picked up Marjanah and began to brush the revolver's cylinder chambers. Even still, there was plenty of room on the couch, room enough for one more person.

Emerald swung her arm over the back of the couch and called out behind her.

"Cinder, you're missing the ceremony!"

There was no answer. There was, however, the sound of the dorm room's door being slammed closed. Mystified, the two underlings looked at each other. Then both of their scrolls beeped simultaneously. Mercury fished his scroll out of his pants pocket.

"Huh," the silver-haired butcher stared at a message on his scroll, "I just got a message from Cinder saying that everyone must gather at the warehouse."

Crimson eyes scanned her scroll. Then Emerald said "I got the same message. There's going to be a big meeting very soon. It seems as though Roman Torchwick has just been sentenced to death." Her words grew quiet.

"Why didn't Cinder just tell us before she left? We were right here." Mercury stabbed his fingers at the couch. His female cohort could only shrug.

"We better leave as soon as possible." Emerald stood up from the couch and turned the television display off. Then she picked up Marjanah and Zumurrud with both hands. The warehouse was on the far side of the entire city. Walking there in Haven's school uniform would be far too much of a hassle in Emerald's opinion. She looked at Mercury "I'm going to get changed into something more comfortable."

A coy smirk landed on Mercury's face. "Oh, how long have I been waiting to hear you say those words."

Emerald scowled and flipped Mercury the birdie.

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><p>End Chapter 5: Commemoration<p>

I wrote this chapter in commemoration to Monty Oum's life. Although he may not be here anymore, we can still carry Monty's fire by exemplifying his resolve. _Requiem for Remnant_ is my love letter to_ RWBY_. I have seen so much beautiful art, read so many emotional fan fictions, and met so many wonderful people because of _RWBY_. Monty has brought a great measure of happiness in my life. He has stoked a fire in me, a passion for writing that I had long forgotten. I have been blessed with the gift of writing, so that is how I will honor the legend.

Rest in peace, Monty Oum. Your passion has inspired countless souls, including my own.

Please, read and review.


	7. Chains of Command

**Disclaimer**: RWBY is not owned by me. It is owned by Rooster Teeth. This fan-fiction is not for profit.

**Warnings**: This fiction will be rated _T_ for bad language, gruesome violence, and dark themes.

_"Keep moving forward." _**- **Monty Oum, 1981-2015

**Author's Notes**: This is my first step in moving forward. I hope I make you proud, Monty Oum.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Requiem for Remnant<strong>_

_Chapter 6: Chains of Command_

The sun was beginning to set over the horizon. Across the sky, the shattered face of Luna rose into view. The two celestial bodies gazed at each other from across Remnant. To the west, the sky was darkening purple like a bruise. To the east, the heavens were being drained of color. Dark indigo hues spilled across the firmament like paint from an overturned bucket. Ominous storm clouds gathered in the distance, promising rain for the night. What perfect weather for a funeral.

The city of Vale was ghostly quiet. The streets were almost bare of pedestrians. Cars driving by were few and far in between. It was as though the whole city was having a moment of silence. The only disturbance was the fleet of Atlesian gunships flying overhead, seeking out any last threat to the city.

Downtown Vale was no less silent. Along the western coast of Vale, the urban environment gave way to the suburban settlements. The buildings began to deteriorate and the road conditions start to worsen. Cracked sidewalks, stores with bars over their windows, and dark alleyways could be found the further down you strolled. Then you come across the city slums, home to the majority of the faunus population. There were buildings with broken or boarded up windows. Many of the construction sites here were abandoned, leaving steel skeletal structures. The streets were broken; potholes deep enough to hide a body. It can be quite dangerous for a lone human in these poverty stricken neighborhoods. You can never tell if the first faunus you run into will be friendly, or if they might be a member of the notorious White Fang.

The city of Vale's seaside shores were lined with warehouse harbors. The criminal element made their home in the docks. The police force rarely patrolled the slums, making it the safest place to hide. Even the Atlesian air fleet neglected to fly over the public squalor.

Even the docks were nearly empty, aside from two figures. Mercury Black strutted down the crumbling sidewalk like a vain peacock. With both hands, he slicked his silver hair straight back. He was no longer wearing Haven's school uniform. Now he was wearing a black and grey jacket with short sleeves. There was metal rerebraces attached to his shoulders and vambraces strapped to his forearms. He was walking in heavy plated greaves, each a weapon armed with shotgun shells. A sash hung from his belt, marked with Mercury's emblem: winged boots.

A female figure accompanied Mercury, stealing into shadows wherever she could. This seemed to amuse Mercury greatly. "Emerald, why are you sneaking around like that?" he called loudly.

Dashing from her shadows, the brown-skinned thief thrust a slender finger against Mercury's lips. Emerald's attire was much more open than the school uniform. She was dressed in an exotic white crop top with a shallow, olive-green under. On her left arm were triple silver armbands. Emerald was wearing skinny white jeans with brown leather chaps. Her dual sickle-revolvers, Marjanah and Zumurrud, were holstered just above her behind.

Shushing her male cohort, Emerald leaned in close and whispered "Are you trying to alert the whole harbor?"

Brushing Emerald's finger away from his face, Mercury only laughed "You're being too cautious. Most of the city is watching the funeral ceremony right now. Why else do you think Cinder called a meeting during the day?" He didn't lower his voice in the slightest.

Cherry red eyes narrowed dangerously. "Mercury, I will seriously kick you in the ass if you don't shut up!" the young woman hissed.

Mercury Black laughed. "You know you're just looking for excuses to touch my ass, Emerald."

Emerald Sustrai chewed her lower lip, biting back a scathing retort. Playing Mercury's game would only give him more opportunities to irritate her. Instead, the green-haired girl darted across the street and vaulted over a chain-link fence.

Beyond the gated fence was a humongous dockside cargo port, apparently abandoned and condemned. The warehouse used to house cruise ships. It was fifty meters tall and had over four hundred square feet of empty space inside. There was plenty enough room to hide a secret criminal organization.

Emerald ran around a corner, disappearing from sight. When Mercury finally rounded the same corner, he found Emerald kneeling in front of a side doorway. Her nimble fingers were gripping a pair of thin bobby pins. Emerald stuck both pins inside the door's keyhole.

"Why would you pick the lock to our secret hideout?" Mercury leaned against the doorway, arms folded in front of his chest.

With a twist and a click, the tumblers in the door gave way. Emerald looked at her silver-haired ally and said "If I don't keep in practice, then my skills will get rusty."

"What, are you afraid that this easy-going city will make you complacent?" Mercury snickered.

Emerald sniffed as she stepped through the darkened doorway. "I didn't become a master thief by stealing from the stupid. The people of Vale don't even have electrified locks on their doors!"

Mercury guffawed as he followed Emerald inside. "It must be so difficult for you, passing by people with genuine silver watches on their wrists. How can you _not_ rob them blind?"

"With gritted teeth and a reminder that Cinder ordered us to stay inconspicuous."

The interior of the large warehouse was enormously spacious. It would have to be, considering the jaw-dropping arsenal that it housed. From wall to wall, enormous crates filled with stolen Dust were stacked upon each other. Hundreds of White Fang members worked tirelessly around the warehouse, carrying boxes filled with rifles and bladed weapons. They were loading these boxes onto a small fleet of Bullhead VTOL tilt-jets. Their faces were hidden behind identical white Grimm masks, their armor adorned by the same mark. It was the mark of a crimson wolf with three jagged scars running down its face.

Among them, a large number of twenty foot tall mechanical battle-suits called Paladins were piloted by more White Fang. The Paladins were stolen somehow; right out from underneath the Atlesian military's noses. It never failed to impress Emerald just how resourceful the mastermind of this operation could be. Just how Cinder managed to acquire so many mecha-tanks was a mystery. While their purpose was primarily for heavy combat, the Paladins were currently being repurposed for heavy lifting. They could carry the crates of stolen Dust with much more speed and grace than a crane. When the time came for direct combat, these state-of-the-art war machines would prove themselves to be just as deadly as they were speedy and graceful.

Emerald led Mercury toward the headquarters of the warehouse. Away from the factory floor, there was a wing set aside for the leaders of this criminal operation. When the two teenagers entered in the wing, they were greeted by silence. Numerous corkboards lined the walls, occupied by maps and written instructions. The city of Vale was most prominent, although Emerald recognized a city map of their now-useless lair in Mount Glenn. Emerald burned with anguish when she realized that she was looking at the ruined remnants of Cinder Fall's grand plan. It was such a perfect plan, to drive a train from Mount Glenn into the heart of Vale. The train was loaded with explosions that were supposed to open up the tunnel and lead subterranean Grimm right in the middle of the city. But that fool, Roman Torchwick, started the attack _days_ before it was scheduled. Cinder was forced to completely scrap a huge part of her plan and has since been spending all of her time in deep meditation. It hurt Emerald to see Cinder working so hard to make sure her master plan didn't fall apart.

"Well!" Mercury announced loudly, breaking Emerald from her angry thoughts. He swaggered over to the map of Mount Glenn. Then he grabbed the paper and tore it off the corkboard. "I guess we won't need these any longer."

Mercury crumpled the map into a ball and tossed it toward a wastebasket. The ball of trash landed squarely in the middle of the bin. Emerald crossed her arms in front of her chest and shook her head ruefully.

"Those maps would still be useful if Roman hadn't ruined Cinder's plan." She spat bitterly.

"Speaking of Cinder, where do you think she is? She told us there was going to be a big meeting right around this time. She even left the dormitory before we did." Mercury looked around the space, as if he expected Cinder to magically appear. It wouldn't even surprise Mercury if Cinder really did.

Emerald snapped at Mercury "You know very well that Cinder has been working tirelessly to keep all our efforts from going to waste. Ever since Roman got arrested, she hasn't gotten a wink of sleep."

Mercury rolled his eyes and started flapping his hand like a sock puppet. When Emerald began ranting, there was little you could do but pretend to listen.

Ignoring Mercury's antics, Emerald continued seething. "I can't believe that Roman messed up such a huge part of Cinder's plan! She had everything plotted out! But then that idiot went and flushed it all down the toilet!"

Mercury turned away from the thief. His eyes landed on something behind her. In an instant, Mercury froze in place, his face an expression of pure panic. He frantically motioned to Emerald and said "Uh, Emmy? You may want to ixnay the Omanray ashingbay."

Oblivious to the danger, as well as to Mercury's Pig Latin, Emerald kept right on railing against Roman. "I swear; I hope I never see that fool again! If Roman dares show his face around here again, I'll make him wish he was executed in prison!"

All of the sudden, Emerald sensed a presence directly behind her. She spun around and barked "Mercury! I told you to never stand right behind me—"

Instead of standing right behind her, Mercury was actually standing far off in the distance. Emerald adopted a look of confusion. Why did she sense someone so close then? The riddle was solved as soon as the master thief glanced down at her feet. Directly beneath her breasts was a head of hair colored bubblegum pink and chocolate brown. The head tilted up and Emerald found herself staring into a pair of mismatched eyes, one pink and one brown. Emerald staggered backwards, startled.

The two-toned hair and eyes belonged to one Neo, last name unknown. The pale girl was dressed in white Victorian era clothing, with white knee-high boots and a black corset. Emerald hadn't even heard Neo approaching. The diminutive bodyguard didn't make a single sound. Emerald hasn't even heard her speak one word yet. But she didn't need to say anything in this instance. Neo's teeth were clenched, her fingers gripping her parasol tightly, and her eyes were stone cold. It was a wonder how something so small could emanate so much killing intent. There was very little known about Neo; but her loyalty to Roman Torchwick was unquestionable.

Mercury let loose a nervous giggle. "If you ladies will excuse me, I'm going to grab the cleaning supplies that we'll most certainly be needing soon. It's been nice knowing you, Emerald!" With that, Mercury Black began walking away at a brisk pace.

Emerald reached behind her back with both hands and gripped her dual revolvers. Neo's gloved fingers were resting on her pink and white parasol, a deadly weapon that concealed an even deadlier sword. Silence settled between the two women. Was Neo even a woman? Emerald didn't even know how old the strawberry shortcake was. She could be twelve, fifteen, or a middle aged midget.

Unwilling to stand down from a fight, Emerald broke the silence. "What's the matter, Neo? Can't handle hearing the truth about your boss?"

Eyes unblinking, Neo gripped her parasol with two hands. Slowly, deliberately, Neo began to unsheathe her sword from her parasol. The blade hissed like a serpent as it was released from its confinement. Emerald gradually drew her sickle-revolvers, her fingers on all four triggers. One trigger would fire the revolver. The second would unfold the sickles beneath the barrel of her guns. Emerald didn't know if the imminent fight would be close quarters or long ranged. So she only pulled the second trigger for Zumurrud, extending the wicked blade with a snap.

Neo drew the last inch of blade out of its sheath. Uneven eyes trained on Emerald's scarlet orbs. The two stood as still as statues, just waiting for someone to make the first move. In a fight where the enemy combatant was a complete unknown, you never want to give her the first strike advantage. Emerald leveled her revolver, Marjanah, at Neo while keeping Zumurrud's blade concealed behind her back.

It was then that commanding, feminine voice pierced the atmosphere. "Cease your childish strife!"

With a single motion, Emerald collapsed Zumurrud into revolver form and holstered both weapons. She turned her back on Neo and looked up toward the source of the voice. Standing on a level above them was a woman draped in darkness; her eyes glowed in the shadows like molten gold. The matron began to slowly wind down a revolving stairway. With each step, her obsidian high heeled slippers clinked. Pale, slender legs reached up into a scarlet, off-the-shoulders mini-dress. Golden-yellow markings snaked their way up both burgundy sleeves, across the neckline, and down the small of her back. Emerald has seen these markings glowing whenever the woman commanded her flames to life. The femme fatale reached up with a long sleeved hand and flipped her onyx black hair forward, over her bare shoulder. Amber eyes burned with hidden power, riveting Emerald in place. Neo sheathed her sword and popped open her parasol above her head, spinning it daintily.

Stammering, Emerald tried to explain herself before the ringleader. "I—I was only saying that—that Roman should be punished for ruining your perfect plan!"

Long, willowy fingers wove forward and gently grasped Emerald's chin. The Queen never broke eye contact with her and Emerald could not look away from those radiant yellow eyes. A sultry smile spread across those lusciously full lips. When she spoke, her words were quiet and premeditated. Emerald found herself hanging on every word, completely and willfully spellbound.

Cinder Fall whispered "If my plan was perfect, then it wouldn't have been ruined."

Startled, Emerald could only stare in wonder. Cinder removed her hand from Emerald's face and strode past. The master thief's gaze fell on her back, on the symbol exposed through a keyhole in Cinder's crimson garment. The symbol was a pair of ebony high heeled slippers, seemingly tattooed between her provocative shoulder blades. The obsidian slippers were placed sole to sole, forming a crooked black heart. It wasn't apparent upon the first glance, Emerald herself had only noticed it after a long period of staring, but the symbol wasn't actually tattooed on Cinder's back.

_It was branded._

The brand was in a place that made it impossible for Cinder to have done it herself. It must have been someone else who wielded the brand. Who could possibly be so cruel; to press a white-hot band of metal against such pure skin? Emerald didn't even notice it, but her hand had begun to reach toward the brand. When Cinder spoke again, Emerald snatched her hand back in fright. But Cinder wasn't looking at Emerald, but at Neo instead.

Addressing the tiny girl, Cinder said "I understand that you're upset about Roman Torchwick's sentence. Please, understand that I plan on taking full responsibility."

Mouth dropped open, Emerald almost shouted before catching herself. "How was Roman's capturing your fault? He's the one that—"

"But it was my fault." Cinder admitted almost sadly. The mastermind dropped her gaze to the floor. Emerald fought the urge to embrace the older woman. "Had I not underestimated Ozpin's Hunters, Roman would not have been taken from us."

"I don't understand." Emerald argued, wringing her hands together.

"I never told Roman what to do if the Hunters found our hide-out. I simply did not anticipate such an eventuality. It should have been obvious that the creatures of Grimm would lead the Hunters to Mount Glenn." Cinder brought her pale hands together. "It was my failing that landed Roman in prison. That is why it is my responsibility to bring him back."

Mercury Black entered the scene, a spray bottle in one hand and a tarp tucked beneath his arm. As soon as he laid eyes on Emerald, he let both items clatter to the floor and walked over to Cinder. "I heard what you said. I've gotta say, I never expected you to be so— what's the word— reasonable."

Cinder shot a scorching glare at her male underling. He raised both hands in defense and stepped back, almost tripping on the tarp he left on the ground. He hastily explained himself. "All I'm saying is that I've worked under a number of crime lords who would never admit to making mistakes. They would just cap the messenger in the knees then blame somebody else for it." Mercury bent down and tapped his knees with a faint metallic sound.

Her glare cooled to a mere glower, Cinder turned to lecture to everyone. "These chains of command are burdensome. But if I don't always perform at my absolute best, then what reason do I give for others to follow me?" Cinder's words sounded as though she were quoting a phrase from someone else. "A good leader must take responsibility for their errors. A good leader doesn't shift the blame, but accepts when they make mistakes. Whether we like it or not, leaders have a duty to their allies." Then she turned her burning eyes skyward and dictated to the ceiling. "Isn't that right, Adam?"

Emerald followed Cinder's gaze and her jaw dropped. Nestled in the dark rafters of the warehouse was the leader of the White Fang himself, Adam Taurus. Wearing a pitch black trench coat over black pants, he hid well in the Darkness. The only very visible thing about him was his white Grimm mask and his head of bristly crimson hair.

Descending from high shadows, Adam landed gracefully before Cinder. As he stood upright, Adam loomed above everyone. He turned his head and seemingly stared down at everyone in front of him. It was hard to tell where he was looking, his eyes hidden behind a domino-style white and red mask. Twin horns erupted out from his brow, the mark of his faunus heritage. Then Adam twisted his neck and looked directly at Cinder.

She rested her hand on her hip and spoke in a half-pleasant voice. "I notice that you didn't step in when there was a fight about to break out."

Adam turned his head toward Neo, then toward Emerald herself. Finally, he regarded Cinder and said "They are not members of the White Fang. They are not my soldiers to discipline."

"Of course, you're right." Cinder's tone was no longer pleasant. She turned her head slightly and briefly glanced at Emerald out of the corner of her igneous eye. Emerald suddenly felt her heart drop somewhere in the vicinity of her stomach. Her near-fight with Neo reflected poorly upon Cinder. Emerald's cherry eyes dropped to her feet, hunched her shoulders, and wrung her hands together tight enough to ignite a spark. She clenched her teeth and made a voiceless vow to make Cinder proud.

Neo's expression never changed from simple disinterest. She just kept on twirling her parasol between gloved fingers.

Adam spoke again. "I still have need for Roman Torchwick's spy network. The White Fang will offer whatever resources you need, within reason."

Smiling with her mouth, yet not with her eyes, Cinder repeated "Within reason, of course." Then Cinder gestured toward a set of double doors. "We'll have the meeting in the conference room. If you'll please enter, we can get started."

Leading the way, Adam Taurus stepped through the doors. Next followed Mercury Black, strutting behind Adam at his own pace. Emerald made her way to the door, staring at the floor to avoid Cinder's pyretic eyes. When Neo finally began strolling toward the doors, Cinder put her hand in front of Neo's face. The very small girl stopped and looked up at the tall woman. Neo's face scrunched up in mystification; multicolored eyes locked with saffron. Cinder placed her hand gently on Neo's shoulder.

"I will rescue Roman and return him to you." Cinder began softly. Neo blinked hard, the color of both eyes changed to pink.

"However, I will need your help." Neo's eyes broke away.

"I know you don't take orders from me. But that will have to change." Gloved fingers squeezed her parasol tightly, the leather creaking.

"I need you to trust me." Tiny teeth clenched, grinding painfully.

"If I'm going to save him, I need you to trust me; the same way you trust him." A long pause passed between Neo and Cinder Fall. Finally, Neo seemed to visibly deflate. She loosened her grip on her parasol and her jaw relaxed. Neo heaved a desolate sigh; her eyes fell to the floor.

A slender hand slipped beneath Neo's chin and forced her to look Cinder in the eye. Neo's eyes were both vanilla white and swimming in forlorn tears. Cinder let go of her chin and put a tender hand on top of Neo's two-toned head.

"I know you miss him." Her tone was understanding, without sounding condescending. The abandoned girl's chin dropped to her chest. Cinder ran her svelte fingers through both colors on Neo's head.

"Can you trust me?" Cinder asked innocently.

The silence stretched on and on. Cinder waited patiently for Neo's answer. Then, out of the silence, came a voice so fragile it sounded like paper-thin glass. The voice said one word.

"Yes."

Cinder smiled broadly, her amber eyes shone in the darkness above Neo's head. The temptress placed her hand on Neo's small back and led her through the double doors. The doors swung shut behind them.

* * *

><p>End Chapter 6: Chains of Command<p>

**Author's Notes**: I've made a couple of changes to Chapter 5. I had rushed while writing it, in response to Monty Oum's hospitalization. Now I've gone back and touched up some details, added new lines of dialogue between Ironwood and Roman, and renamed one of Emerald's weapons. It's not anything major, but I messed up on some details and I couldn't stand it if my commemoration was anything short of perfect.


	8. Hero's Burden

**Disclaimer**: _RWBY_ is not owned by me. It is owned by Rooster Teeth. This fan-fiction is not for profit.

**Warnings**: This fiction will be rated _T_ for bad language, fantasy violence, and mild sexual themes.

THE VIEWS AND OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN THIS STORY DO NOT REFLECT THE AUTHOR'S PERSONAL OPINION.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Requiem for Remnant<em>**

_Chapter 7: Hero's Burden_

Silence reigned supreme inside Beacon Academy's amphitheater. Where earlier there was a huge crowd of students and teachers, there was now emptiness. The reporters and the cameras had all cleared out hours ago. The spacious auditorium felt vast compared to before. The Moon hovered directly over Beacon Academy, casting its light down through the glass dome ceiling. The broad signal light from the Headmaster's central tower swept over the campus.

The four girls of Team RWBY walked along the gardens. The fresh scent of spring coiled around the air like an invitation for romance. A diverse bouquet of colorful lilies lined the pathway. Posies of roses grew around the plot, sweetening the air. A marble fountain babbled gently in the night, concentric ripples spreading across the vast pool. Holographic torches illuminated the path with a warm yellow light.

Ruby was in the front, leading her team. Weiss and Blake walked beside each other. Yang trailed behind, her lilac eyes on the ground.

Nobody was speaking.

A somber atmosphere hung in the air like cobwebs. It was an uncomfortable sort of silence, one without apparent cause. Blake could tell something was wrong. The brunette turned her head and snuck a peek behind her. Yang had been behaving strangely this morning, more distant than aloof. Then, just before the ceremony, the blonde bombshell had acted like a complete dud. From an outsider's perspective, Yang had been completely normal during the ceremony itself. She was throwing kisses and smiling like a complete ham while the cameras were rolling. But the feline faunus could tell that her friend was overacting. Blake was determined to avoid prying into Yang's business, but growing concern was weakening her resolve.

Weiss couldn't figure it out; why was everyone being so quiet? Yes, the funeral was saddening and it was only respectful that you held your silence during the procession. But it was over now, so why did this feel like a vigil? Where did all the energy go?

Once in a broken blue moon, one of the Rose-Xiao-Long sisters might have a quiet moment. When one sister became gloomy, the other one would sniff out the irregularity and correct the abnormality. It was usually Yang cheering up Ruby after a poor test grade. They acted like an emotional safety net for the other. For both of them to be acting like zombies was almost impossible to comprehend.

But now both sisters were malfunctioning and neither one was coming to the other's aid. Yang was trailing behind, dragging her boots over the cobblestone path. Ember Cecila swung limp at her sides. Her flaxen hair seemed dull; head hung low; amethyst eyes downcast. Yang looked like gravity itself was overpowering her.

What was worse, Ruby seemed to have lost her vigor. All of the excess energy she boasted of prior to the ceremony was gone, and then some. Weiss stared at Ruby's back, noticing how her shoulders were drooped, watching the red riding shroud drag along the ground. Where was the curious wind that always kept that crimson cloak fluttering even when indoors? When did Ruby become so small?

Weiss sped up her pace until she was beside the elfin schoolgirl. "Well Ruby, the ceremony is over. What restaurant did you want to go to?" She forced a smile. Maybe she could trick Ruby into smiling herself?

The babble of the fountain was the only response. Low were Ruby's eyes. She was looking down at her hands. Nestled in her fingers was the golden medal she had been awarded with. Ruby's reflection stared back at her through the golden sheen. Silver orbs locked with gold. Ruby didn't even react to Weiss immediately. When crimson clad girl finally noticed the question, her response was "Sorry Weiss, I'm not hungry."

Weiss stopped walking, completely floored. She looked back at Blake to see if she had heard. Judging from the wide amber eyes, Weiss was not just hearing things. That was the last thing either of them had expected the sugar lusting Huntress to say. This wasn't just fatigue; there was something wrong with their leader, their friend.

Dashing forth, Weiss caught up with the distracted girl. She reached out and wrapped her slender fingers around Ruby's slim forearm. The young teen looked up from her medallion and turned to face her friend. Ashen eyes glistened underneath furrowed brows. Upon seeing how upset Ruby was, Weiss let go of her arm. A pit formed in her stomach.

"Is it my fault?"

The voice was too small to belong to Ruby. It was so quiet, like a whisper from a suffering child. Soft lips barely parted to let the words slip out. The question hung in the air like a guillotine poised above Ruby's pale neck. Would the wrong answer bring the blade down?

Icy blue eyes blinked rapidly. "What do you mean?"

Every word was quieter than the last. Weiss struggled to hear the complete question.

"Is it my fault that so many people died?"

For one still moment, nobody knew how to react.

Boots stomped on cobblestone. A luminous yellow sun erupted behind Weiss and Blake. The temperature in the garden skyrocketed, causing beads of sweat to form on their brows. The monochrome pair glanced down and saw their shadows leap out in front of them. They were barely able to jump out of the way. Yang powered straight toward her sister and grabbed her by the shoulders.

Livid lilac eyes tainted to crimson. Yang opened her mouth wide into a shout. "Why would you even _think_ such a thing? Who put that idea in your head? _Gimme_ a name, I'll _beat_ them to a bloody _pulp_!"

Immediately, Blake knew there was something _seriously_ wrong with Yang. The faunus has never heard Yang raise her voice to her little sister before. Feeling righteous anger was one thing; but this much anger was too explosive. The blonde didn't become angry because of what Ruby said. She was already angry. Something has been eating at her all day, chewing the life out from her heart. Something was causing Yang considerable grief and she was using Ruby's troubles as an excuse to vent her frustrations.

Ruby flinched back, her silver eyes widened. She brought her hands up as if in self-defense. Her small mouth opened slightly, but no names came forth. Yang tightened her grip on Ruby's thin shoulders, powerful fingers wrinkling the crimson cloak. A pained whimper came from her sister. Suddenly aware of what she was doing, Yang released Ruby. The petite girl stepped away from her sister. The elder sibling's stomach curdled in shame.

The radiance from the blonde bruiser's Semblance faded like the setting sun. Her crimson eyes squeezed shut. When they opened again, they were faded amethyst. The roasting heat plummeted, letting the night air cool the three bodies.

Face contorting with anguish, Yang put one foot forward and extended her hands fretfully. Ruby didn't retreat and let Yang embrace her. Wrapping her arms around her sister, Yang tried to keep the anger out of her voice. "I didn't mean to scare you, Ruby." The hug was immensely gentle. Yang pressed her full lips against the forehead of her little sister. "But what you're asking is complete nonsense! You saved so many people yesterday. Why do you feel responsible for the dead?"

Ruby buried her face into Yang's shoulder. She was trembling with her whole body. "I was thinking about the mission. I can't help it, but I just keep remembering how badly I screwed up. Seeing those caskets made me realize that I'm the one at fault. I killed those people."

As soon as she heard those words, Blake sputtered in disbelief. "How did you kill those people? Roman Torchwick was the one who led the Grimm into the city!"

"But I was the one to alert him!" Suddenly angry, Ruby thrashed with her whole body until she was free from her sister's loving embrace. She stepped away from her teammates. "We were searching for Roman in the city, but he found me first. I blew our element of surprise!" She swung her hand in front of her chest, knocking away Yang's attempts at hugging her sister again.

"Ruby, you're talking nonsense." Weiss sounded exasperated.

"Actually…" a new voice spoke. Team RWBY turned all at once. The tall, princely form of Headmaster Ozpin came into view. Brown eyes peered over black spectacles, darting from girl to girl. He marched toward the team, one footstep accompanied by the clacking of his cane on cobblestone. In his other hand was a steaming mug of coffee, completing his image. The most powerful Huntsman in the world approached the team of first year students. When Ozpin was standing before them, he stopped and brought his mug of coffee to his lips. After taking a leisurely sip, the Headmaster completed his hanging sentence.

"…I'd say that Ruby has a point."

A couple of moments passed as the team processed the meaning of those words. Amethyst eyes converted to scarlet. The mane of golden hair was set ablaze anew. The flickering light from the flames reflected off Ozpin's spectacles.

"You watch what you say," Yang breathed slowly "around my sister." There was no mistaking the threat that seethed from her lips. A lesser man would have melted from underneath the heat.

Ozpin asked Yang a simple question "Or you'll do what?"

Completely shut down, the blonde bruiser could only gape in bewildered outrage. Ozpin stepped passed the stunned sister and stood in front of Ruby. Her small chin dropped to her chest, unable to look at the man.

"Do you really think…" the words seemed hard for her to say, "…that it's my fault?" Ruby asked the ground.

The princely man knelt down, his right knee touched cobblestone. He set his coffee mug on the ground and reached for the girl's face. Ozpin grasped Ruby's chin and made her look at him square in the eye. Sharp brown met silver orbs swimming in sorrow. "It doesn't matter what I think. What do you feel?"

A small voice rose from the smaller girl. "I feel guilty. If I hadn't ruined our element of surprise, then we could have stopped Roman before he launched his attack."

The Headmaster nodded sagely. Then he put one hand on his left knee and with the other gripped his cane tightly. He pushed off his knee, forcing it to straighten. With a hard grunt, the greatest Huntsman rose from his kneeling position. His left knee popped as he ascended.

Ozpin turned his head toward Ruby's team. Chestnut eyes scythed through the girls. "Listen up, the rest of you. Ruby Rose is learning a cruel lesson that every leader must."

He drew a breath and closed his eyes.

They opened. "You made a mistake that compromised the mission. As a leader, your decisions and mistakes carry more weight than those you lead. When anyone makes a mistake, they endanger everything they have been entrusted with. The common man is trusted with scarcely any more than their own lives. But leaders are trusted with so much; the lives of their teammates, the lives of their allies, and the lives of the public. When leaders error; the damage ripples through all of it."

"Learning to accept accountability is something that every good leader must do."

Glistening tears fell from sterling silver and wetted rosy cheeks. "Then, it really is my fault that those people died."

A pregnant pause settled. Headmaster Ozpin brought one hand to his breast pocket and produced a white cloth. He held the handkerchief in front of him, level to Ruby's tears. She reached out and took the hankie. As the young girl dried her tears, Ozpin spoke again with a softer tone.

"There is another side to this lecture, one which is equally important. Learning to be accountable is only half the lesson. But you must also learn how to avoid taking too much responsibility."

Clouded globes widened. Looking up from the gifted tissue, the first-year leader held an expression of bewilderment. She stared at the tall professor, hanging on his every word.

"If you try to take all of the responsibility for this tragedy, then you are going to take responsibility away from the true perpetrator. You must learn to recognize this: you are not responsible for other people's decisions. It was Roman Torchwick who launched the attack, not you."

Standing off to the side, Team RWBY listened intently. Blake nodded her head in understanding. It was a difficult lesson to remember, but she had long since come to terms with it. Having grown up within the White Fang, it was easy to forget that she had only been a kitten when the White Fang turned to terrorism. She used to spend sleepless nights lamenting on her inability to prevent its fall into debauchery. Eventually, Blake came to realize that there was virtually nothing she could do to change Adam Taurus. Once that man made a choice, he refused to even acknowledge any other options. His decision to become a monster was his alone. It was after this epiphany that Blake decided to abandon the White Fang. It hurt Blake to leave her family, but staying was killing her.

Shaking his dusky head, the professor whispered distractedly. He sounded almost like he was talking to himself. "I have seen far too many leaders crush themselves underneath the weight of their responsibility."

Then Ozpin looked at Ruby's teammates. "Refusing to take responsibility for your mistakes is the wrong thing to do. You will never grow if you cannot accept responsibility for your actions." Then Ozpin looked at Ruby. "But the opposite extreme is just as wrong. You will only hurt yourself if you try to make yourself the only one responsible. When the leader hurts, so does their team."

Ruby reached for her neck and gripped the golden medal hanging there. Her golden reflection stared back with hateful eyes. Voice full of contempt, Ruby glared at the medallion. "I don't deserve this." She lifted it straight up and shook her crimson-tipped hair until the ribbon slipped free completely. The young Huntress stretched her arm back, preparing to throw the medal into the distance.

A powerful hand gripped Ruby's slender wrist and held it in place. In one smooth motion, Ozpin plucked the medal out of her hand and slipped the ribbon back over her neck. He released the captive wrist. The Headmaster put his hand on her narrow shoulders and turned Ruby to face him squarely.

His voice was stern. "That medallion is nothing more than a tiny golden plate. It has no value for you. The ceremony was not held for you to enjoy. It was held for the people of Vale, so that they might see their saviors."

Ozpin lifted his hand off of Ruby's shoulder and gripped his cane. His razor sharp eyes drilled into her colorless globes. "They need a _heroine_ right now, in the wake of tragedy. They look up to _you_ now. _You_ give them hope for the future. So long as _you_ live, all of Remnant will see _you_ as a paragon of virtue."

Ruby shook her scarlet highlights wildly. Her voice shrill, she protested "Me? I'm no paragon of virtue! I'm just a normal girl, with normal knees!"

The greatest Huntsman spoke like a sage with ancient experience. "This is the burden of being a hero. Children look up to you, people trust you to make the right choices, and the whole world will place their lives in your very human hands. They do this because you make them feel safe. It does not matter what you want. All that matters is what the people need."

"Why do the people look up to me? All I did was my duty." Tiny hands balled into tight fists. "Even then, I messed up! I didn't even do that right!" The elfin girl stood as still as a statue, waiting for the answer.

"The only thing you can do is improve yourself. Become the heroine that the people believe you to be"  
>The words grew quieter. "You must learn from your mistakes. Become greater than the girl who made them. Accept them, reflect on them, but do not dwell on your mistakes."<p>

Ozpin sounded more than tired. He sounded more than exhausted. He sounded world-weary. He turned his eyes toward the night sky. Countless stars glistened like candles in a vast indigo ocean. Above the tallest tower in Beacon Academy, the shattered face of the Moon gazed down on him. It watched just the same as it did every night of his life.

"Luna knows that if I dwelled on all of my mistakes, I would be frozen in place until Judgment Day."

Turning on his Oxford heels, Ozpin strolled away from Team RWBY. As soon as he parted ways, the three girls descended upon their leader. No doubt they would comfort and shower her with love and affection. That was not Ozpin's place, not anymore. He knew that he had fulfilled his duty when he saw her expression. Ruby's eyes were no longer soft like silver, but as hard as platinum. She would no longer bend and break.

That young girl was well on her way to becoming a powerful Huntress.

* * *

><p>Professor Ozpin's loyal assistant and most trusted confidant, Glynda Goodwitch, stood at the entrance of the gardens. Flaxen blonde locks were fixed back into a tight bun, leaving only a curl of hair hanging in front of her soft face. The night air breezed through the hip-length cape on her back. Glynda was wearing a white blouse and a long black business skirt. The violet tiara that was her emblem was emblazoned on her cape. Eyes the color of peridots and twice as stony watched the Headmaster stroll through the gardens at a leisurely pace. She adjusted narrow spectacles resting on her nose with one hand. Her other hand palmed a scroll.<p>

Walking in high heels, Glynda approached her superior. Here she was waiting for him; and the man had the audacity to stop and smell the roses growing along the cobblestone path. She shook her fair head ruefully. "Sometimes I wonder about you. One day, you brush off colossal property damage as child's play." The food fight at the beginning of the semester had ascended into legend. "Now you brow beat a lesson into them without holding any punches."

Ozpin wafted the scent of the roses with his free hand. Waving the sweet air toward his nostrils, he responded. His tone was low. "The breach has shown me just how far our enemies are willing to stoop. I was hoping against hope that they would have more time. I wanted them to enjoy their childish innocence for as long as possible." Then Ozpin turned toward his vice assistant. His coffee-colored eyes were hard as iron. "But it has become clear that whomever we're dealing with does not value childhood as much as I do. These children have a lot of growing up to do, and there's not enough time left in the world to prepare them."

"We're teachers, parting lessons onto our students is our duty." Glynda simply said. She tilted the screen of her scroll toward herself and began to tap its cool surface with her thumb.

A defeated sigh erupted out of Ozpin's lips and he leaned heavily on his cane. His shoulders dropped, his chin fell to his chest, and his gaze became unfocused. The professor didn't breathe in for the longest time.

Glynda looked up from her scroll, mild concern in her peridot eyes. "Is something the matter?"

Still watching the ground, the Huntsman responded in a low tone. "I'm afraid that I may be making the same mistakes all over again." His voice was quiet.

Knowing better than to pry into her superior's matters, the witch held her silence. The splashing of a distant fountain filled the air void of sound. When the Headmaster began to speak again, he spoke as though he were in a confessional. Ozpin's words were scorched with bitterness as he began to repent his secret regrets.

"Over a decade ago, I had a young student with the simplest soul I have ever seen. She was so pure that I became determined to protect her childish innocence. All she wanted was to become a heroine and protect the world from danger. She was a prodigy, extraordinarily talented in warfare. Bluntly, I would say that Miss Nikos reminds me a lot of her. That little girl was only twelve years old when she was accepted into Beacon Academy."

In his mind's eye, Ozpin could still see that small girl. Long, blonde hair fell over her tiny shoulders. Straight locks draped over her eyes like a golden curtain. Cream colored orbs peeped through her fair bangs at the Headmaster. She giggled as she watched Ozpin "struggle" to defeat her in a simple game of chess. Her laughter was like the music of springtime. She sat in a large chair on top of an olive green cushion, her bare feet swinging freely above the floor. It would be a couple of years before her toes could touch the floor.

"I supported her with all of my efforts. I made her the leader of her team. I told her beautiful lies, filling her head with the idea that the world was a wonderful place which needed someone with a pure and simple soul. I taught her that love was the greatest power in this world."

There was so much hesitation in his voice. Each word was like a barbed wire being dragged out of his throat.

"I told her that the most brilliant lights would never cease to burn; that not even the darkest of evils could possibly touch them."

Ozpin spoke in a hollow voice.

"She absorbed every word like a child does. She took it all to heart and began to grow into a paragon of love and virtue. I thought that I had found what I was looking for. I thought she was the simple soul that I was seeking."

"But…" His shoulders shook. Whether it was anger, wretchedness, or a mixture of both; Glynda couldn't tell.

"But, then she lost someone dear to her. A Huntress she worshiped as a heroine was killed." Suddenly, Ozpin looked at Glynda. Frantic now, he tried to explain "This little girl was no child though, please believe me. She wasn't a stranger to loss. But it was the way that her heroine was killed that caused everything to happen."

The greatest Huntsman ground his teeth, hissing the next sentence. His closest confidant had to strain to hear the words.

"Her heroine was _murdered_ by the **darkest evil in this world**."

Watching Ozpin grind his teeth, Glynda came to realized that he was not referring to the creatures of Grimm.

"Everything I had told her was put to a lie. Her whole world was shattered and she couldn't cope with the realization. The truth of this world was more than she could bear."

The fair witch felt her heart plummet as she realized where this tale was heading. "What happened?"

Ozpin turned his head and looked at her. Glynda couldn't even describe the depth of the pain she saw. His eyes…

"She killed herself. She burned down half of Beacon in doing so. Nobody else died, that I made sure of. But she didn't even try to escape the flames. We never even found her body in the piles of ashes."

The sorceress didn't speak. What could she say?

"Her death is my greatest failure."

The air was as still as a painting. In the distance, a quartet of female voices could be heard across the garden. Team RWBY was leaving the gardens through another gate. Finally off to bed, it would seem.

Finally, Ozpin broke the silence. "The council of Vale has told me that my position in Beacon will be put under consideration. Maybe it's for the best if I stepped down as Headmaster." Then chuckling darkly "I'm not a very good professor either. I'm always too late to begin the hard lessons."

Glynda clenched her fists and argued against Ozpin's self deprecation. "You have experiences that nobody else does. Someone who has lived as long a life as you should share your experiences. I trust that you know what you're doing."

"…the burden of heroes…"

Peridot eyes blinked. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch that?"

A mirthless smile graced Ozpin's face. He straightened his back and pulled his shoulders up. Standing to his full height, the greatest Huntsman lifted himself upright before Glynda Goodwitch. He loosened his death grip on his cane. When he spoke, his words were warm again.

"I'm sorry you had to see me like that. I'm grateful for you, Glynda; that you're still willing to stand beside me."

Coffee colored eyes met lime.

"…Wherever you go…"

This time it was Ozpin's turn to ask. "What did you say?"

"Nothing."

"I'm going to retire for the night. Enjoy sweet dreams." The Headmaster began to walk toward Beacon Academy's central tower. Glynda Goodwitch stood still and watched his broad back as he withdrew into the distant dark.

* * *

><p>Yang Xiao Long lied in her bed. She could hear the calm breathing of the other three girls as they slept. Amethyst eyes stared at the ceiling, blinking periodically. She held as still as possible, trying to…<p>

Sleep? Was she trying to sleep? If this was the case, then why not close her eyes? Exhaustion pushed her eyelids closed, but she forced them to remain wide open. Sleep seeped into her muscles, numbing them until they felt like solid lead bars.

The blonde bruiser couldn't feel any part of her body. Sleep paralysis had stolen her skin. She didn't detect the weight of the blanket on her breasts. She felt no warmth or coolness. Was her heart even beating?

Before she knew it, the lids of her eyes had drooped halfway down. With enormous effort, Yang pulled her eyes fully open. The skin around the sockets stretched as her eyes bulged out. Her lower eyelids trembled.

She was trying so hard to keep her lilac eyes open. Why didn't she want to sleep? Was she afraid of what she might dream again?

Was Yang afraid to see Raven Branwen? Did she not want to face her mother?

What would she even say?

Unable to keep them open any longer, Yang could only watch in despair as her eyelids gradually stole her sight. A curtain of darkness slowly slid over her amethyst eyeballs. As the darkness fell over the sun dragon, she had but one last desperate prayer.

"_Please, let me have a dreamless sleep."_

Yang Xiao Long would not get her wish tonight.

* * *

><p><strong><em>End of Act 0<em>**

* * *

><p>End Chapter 7: Hero's Burden<p>

This chapter marks the end of Act 0. Everything thus far has been set-up for the real story. Next, I will introduce "Requiem Chapters", which are flashbacks dedicated to exploring the histories of certain characters.

The next three chapters are very heavy and angst-ridden. Bring tissues.

Please, read and review.


	9. Requiem for Taiyang

**Disclaimer**: _RWBY_ is not owned by me. It is owned by Rooster Teeth. This fan-fiction is not for profit.

**Warnings**: This fiction will be rated _T_ for bad language, fantasy violence, and mild sexual themes.

**Author's Notes**: This is the first Requiem Chapter. The next three chapters are very dark and heavy.

IF YOU ARE SENSITIVE TO THE SUBJECT OF SUICIDE AND CHILD ABANDONMENT, PLEASE READ WITH CAUTION.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Prelude to Act 1<strong>_

* * *

><p><strong><em>Requiem for Remnant<em>**

_Chapter 8: Requiem for Taiyang_

Withered brown leaves rustled in the ghostly wind. The night was almost silent, if not for the wailing gust and the crackle of fronds. Black boots trampled over the dead blades, the crunching of their filaments accompanying his every step. A frigid breeze cut across his face like a frozen knife, drawing red to his sallow cheeks. In response, the man reached behind his hair and drew a tattered dusky hood over his head. A flurry of leaves swept between his gangly legs and caught the torn hem of his ragged shadowy cloak. Once upon a time, the mantle was whole and proud. It used to be long enough to reach his heels. Now it was torn to pieces, scarcely half its former length. The shroud was so threadbare that the fringes appeared to be thin strips of rags. The trimmings were frayed to such an extent that they appeared as crow feathers.

Above, the sky was awash with low churning clouds, reflecting the storm that grew in his heart. Towering trees with ebony branches reached down low, blocking the way. Their naked twigs grabbed like fingers, clawing at his ashen face as he marched along the trail. With a leather gloved hand, he pushed aside the branches. The brittle limbs snapped and fell as kindling onto the forest floor. They too cracked beneath his footfalls as he made his way through the winding path.

A single crimson eye peered out from beneath onyx bangs. His right eye was the color of a blood ruby. The left side of his face was hidden behind an eye-patch. Upon the eye-patch was emblazoned a symbol. The icon was that of an eye, but with mechanical cogs in place of a pupil. Black lashes spread from the emblematic eye like the wings of a crow.

In the distance, beyond another acre of woodland, stood a humble house nestled at the foot of a mighty oak. No lights shone from the windows and there was no smoke rings rising from the chimney. If he didn't know any better, then he would think that nobody was home.

As he approached the house, the man shrugged his lean shoulders and slung his pitch-dark scythe across his narrow back. The head of the scythe bobbed and sliced above his hood with every step. What little light that fell upon the man was reflected off the wicked blade. A feathery pattern was inscribed along the curved blade of the cutting edge. The long snath was the barrel of his sniper rifle. The stock of the weapon jostled against his tailbone. The sniper-scythe, _Dicter Tawel_, was known as one of the most dangerous weapons ever designed.

The gravel path gave way to stone bricks. The stone path cut through a humble garden plot. The cold, hard ground murdered every plant that tried to grow, save for one. A single white rose stood upright on a long green stem. The man halted and gazed down upon the defiant perennial. He wondered why this rose survived its caretaker. He bent a knee and crouched down until his eye was level to the yonic petals. Drawing in its sweet scent, the man closed his scarlet eye and briefly let himself fall into summertime memories.

The short-lived moment passed and the man returned to the unforgiving present.

The man left the white rose behind and strode up to the front door. He raised his gloved left hand, a metallic grinding accompanying the movement. His fingers curled in the glove, the leather creaked as he coiled his digits into a fist. Then he struck the wooden frame of the door three times in succession. The frame shuddered with every hit.

Time passed. The screams of the wind rose in pitch.

Again, his left hand lifted to the entrance and balled into a fist. Every movement made a sound like metal rubbing against metal. The man rained three more blows on the wooden door frame. It sounded like cannon fire echoing throughout the humble abode. The only response was the crackle of dead and dried leaves.

His lips pulled back into a contemptuous snarl, baring narrow teeth. The man took two steps backwards and sucked in a gulp of air. He muttered an apology underneath his breath. Then he leaned back and lifted one foot.

The boot launched forth like a ballista and struck the timber entry. Wooden slivers fragmented as the entire door caved underneath the force of the kick. The entrance swung inward and slammed the inside wall. One of the bronze hinges came out of the frame, leaving the door hanging by the only remaining hinge. The surviving hinge squealed in agony as the weight of the door threatened to wrench it out.

The inside of the house was completely black, save for a square patch of strangled moonlight falling through the front hole. The man's shadow nearly eclipsed the light. An acidic stench rose to the man's nostrils, bringing a tear to his right eye. It smelled of alcohol, sweat, and grief. He gritted his teeth, fighting back a wave of nausea. Standing in the doorway for a moment, his eye adjusted to the darkness. From what miniscule light that illuminated the house, the man could see the floor was completely lost beneath a carpet of empty glass bottles. There was not a single foothold to be found amongst the layers of beer bottles. It was clear, from the thin coating of dust, that these bottles had not been disturbed until the moment the door came down.

Then he spoke into the abysmal darkness, his voice deep and rigid.

"I have come, Taiyang."

The dusk gloom shook for only a second. Had he not been watching for it, he would have failed to notice the movement. A mountainous figure stirred in the stationary shadow. An earsplitting creak sounded from beyond the patch of light. The humongous silhouette rolled in place and continued to revolve until a pair of eyes came into view. Bleary amethyst globes fell upon the man in the doorframe. The lilac orbs were lined with crimson. A dry cough erupted from cracked lips. The gravelly coughing fit lasted until there was no more breath left in the man.

"You dusty old Qrow," a hoarse voice croaked "you stand in my house with your hood and scythe. You look like Death. Have you come to take someone else from me?"

His boots pushed through the carpet of beer bottles as Qrow Branwen let himself inside. He waded through the remnants of escapism until he reached the front windows. With a single motion, Qrow grabbed the window shades and tore them off the curtain rods. The hangings fluttered as they fell to the floor, blanketing numerous drained bottles. The outside light flooded into the dreary room and illuminated the grief-stricken mess within. A coffee table came into view, every available square inch occupied by an empty beer bottle or can. There was a bookshelf along the wall, but the bottles on the shelves outnumbered the books. The fireplace was cold, its heath filled with grey ashes. The mantle shelf held more spent alcoholic beverages than family pictures.

Every single picture frame was face down.

An enormous body lay across a grungy sofa recliner. As soon as the light reached his watery eyes, the man groaned and recoiled from the piercing spears. The sofa chair creaked once again in protest of the sudden movement. Thick fingers rubbed at his offended orbs, tears flowing down his face and wetted his unkempt beard. Qrow could smell the alcohol on his breath from where he was standing. From his current state, nobody would ever guess that this wreck was once a world-renown Huntsman.

Taiyang was a mountain of a man. His arms were like truck tires, round and firm to the touch. Qrow has seen this man uproot a healthy maple tree with those tremendous weapons. He had broad shoulders and a barrel chest, his solid pectorals flexed with every movement. His flat stomach was rigid with abdominals chiseled from stone. He was taller than anyone else in Signal Academy, standing at seven feet and two inches. His legs were no less muscular than his arms. They could carry the Huntsman faster than a speeding locomotive with many times as much force. Every single aspect of this man's body boasted of an indestructible juggernaut. There were very few things on Remnant that could stop his frontal assault; the creatures of Grimm were not among them.

However, his face told a completely different story than his body. For all of his strength, Taiyang was a broken shell of his former self. Watery lavender eyes peered out from beneath a thick brow. His forehead was layered with grease and skin flakes. Tangled, golden locks fell behind his head. His blond lumberjack beard appeared as though it hadn't been kept for weeks. Sorrow had carved deep grooves into Taiyang's face. Grief had taken its toll on the man that Qrow had once called his brother in blood. It hurt to look upon what loss has done to him. How was it possible that only fifteen days ago, Taiyang Xiao Long was the happiest husband on Patch?

The question that had been asked was still hanging in the dusty air.

Qrow was no stranger to accusations. His ghastly appearance, coupled with his choice of weaponry, left upon people a sinister impression. He was clad from neck to waist with jet black leather armor. Weightless black spaulders were fastened to his shoulders, the many leather straps hung like feathers from his upper arms. His right arm was protected with a leather vambrace. The left arm no longer required any protection aside from long dark sleeves. Onyx leather gloves adorned both of his hands. Qrow's gaunt upper body was armored with a stygian leather chest piece, studded with ebony. Pitch dark belts hung from his emaciated hips, carrying pouches filled with spare magazines. His skeletal legs were free from burdensome armor, merely clothed with inklike slacks. The deathlike Huntsman wore his ashen tattered cloak over his body, offering protection from suspicious eyes.

They called him a grim reaper, a herald of death. Wherever his feet treaded, doom was sure to follow. They spread rumors that Qrow had killed his own blood sister, Raven Branwen, after her disappearance. He never bothered to voice his protest. Instead, the quiet Huntsman chose isolation from the apprehensive public. He spent his nights on the outskirts of the village, in the crumbling Branwen manor. His home was the closest to the heart of the forest. At least this way, Qrow was the first line of defense from the creatures of Grimm. He fell asleep each night, listening to the Beowolves howling around his estate. If anything, his presence should strike more fear in Grimm than in man.

Finally, after an eternity of silence passed, Qrow answered the question.

"I am here to see the girls."

The cadaverous Huntsman was uncle to Taiyang's daughters. Despite there being no blood relation, the four-year-old Ruby Rose was always the first to greet Qrow upon his every visit. Not even his frightening appearance and dreadful weapon could scare the silver-eyed cherub. She was completely open with love and affection, always begging her uncle to crouch down until she could kiss his pallid cheeks. Being older by two years, Yang Xiao Long was slightly more reserved with her fondness. She would wait until Ruby had finished wetting Qrow's cheeks before grappling his long legs with a bone breaking embrace. Taiyang would always jokingly warn his eldest daughter that she would eventually succeed in crippling her uncle. This never failed to make the girls giggle madly.

This house was the only place in the whole world that Qrow Branwen could go to receive such heart-warming acceptance.

To see this house in such a state sucked the warmth out of his heart.

Bleary eyes peered from beneath furrowed brows. Taiyang's amethyst eyes were filled with accusations. A sweaty hand smeared tangles of blond facial hair away from his mouth. His meaty fingers brushed his cracked, dehydrated lips. When he spoke, his voice was like distant thunder.

"What do you want—"another coughing fit shook the mountain range. When he caught his breath, he tried again. "What do you want with my daughters?"

The smell of alcohol strengthened with every word. But Qrow acted like he didn't detect it. "I want to check up on them; to see if they're alright." He shrugged his shoulders again, readjusting _Dicter Tawel_ upon his back. A slivery ray of light glanced off of the arched blade, causing it to glow silver.

"Now why would you want to do that?" There was no questioning the resentment dripping from Taiyang's dried out lips.

"Because," Qrow narrowed his cardinal eye, "I am their uncle."

A horrible laugh, bitter and contemptuous, shook Taiyang's barrel chest. The crowing continued until the giant was red in the face. When he could finally breathe, his words were more painful than anything Qrow has ever felt. "You are **not** a part of this family."

The grim reaper bowed his head, hiding his eye behind his bangs.

"You showed up with her white cloak in your arms, smeared red with her blood." Taiyang's voice grew louder with every passing word. "You didn't even stay long enough to see the girls' reactions. You ran away into the night, _leaving me alone when I had to explain to __**Ruby and Yang that their mother was**_—"

Suddenly, the tremendous Huntsman stopped shouting. His crimson face was drawn tight against his skull, hatred and grief fighting for control of his voice. When he sucked in a shaky breath, Taiyang could only spit out a handful of words.

"You didn't even show up for _her funeral!"_

Every word was like a bullet to Qrow's chest. He held perfectly still, any movement could cause his entire body to collapse upon himself. How could he explain the last two weeks to Taiyang? How could the corpselike slayer speak about how he has spent the past fourteen nights in the black forest? How he has taken _Dicter Tawel_ and fought countless hoards of Grimm until the sun rose in the morning? How much he pleaded with the soulless monsters to erase his pain. How not a single creature of Grimm managed to end it? How could he say that every sunrise, he would drag his sullen scythe back to the house of crippling isolation? How could Qrow explain his absence to his brother in blood?

When he thought it was safe to speak, the black-clad man opened his mouth. "I—I am here now. I want to see the girls."

Taiyang began to rise from his recliner. He planted his feet firmly on the floor. Gripping the sofa arms with his burly hands, he pushed himself up. The recliner creaked loudly as the great weight of his muscular body shifted. His knees popped as he ascended from the chair. As he staggered upright, the floorboards under his bare feet squealed. The crown of Taiyang's head nearly brushed the low ceiling. When he was finally standing at his full height, the room felt like it had shrunk. The tremendous bruiser towered above even Qrow. Cold amethysts burned in their sockets as he glared down at the morbid ghoul beneath him.

"They are asleep in their beds." The sentence was scarcely a whisper.

"Call them out." A lone crimson eye locked with foggy amethyst. Neither Huntsman broke the stare for the longest time. The moment stretched on with no end in sight.

Finally, the father of the girls looked away with a grunt. He turned his head and looked down a hallway. Down the corridor were three doors, two of them leading to bedrooms. The furthest door belonged to the parents. The closest door was the children's bedroom.

The blond Huntsman opened his mouth. "Girls!" he bellowed down the hall. His voice reverberated throughout the entire house. Qrow had almost forgotten how deafening the man could be. It has been quite some time since the supreme sun dragon has raised his voice.

The echo faded and silence fell around the house.

Moments passed and there was no response. Taiyang's yellow eyebrows furrowed tightly. There was no possibility the girls were still asleep, not after the earlier shouting. No, they should have woken up after Qrow kicked the door down. Ruby and Yang had to be awake now, so why weren't they answering?

The great big blond sucked in another breath. "Girls!" he shouted again. "Come out of your room!"

Then he waited for them to burst out of their room. A howling wind blew in through the wide hole and rattled the windows. The doorknob to their bedroom did not so much as shake. Were they scared by something? Is that why they were disobeying their father's orders?

His head began to pound in synch with his heartbeat. Each throb drove a serrated knife into Taiyang's brain. Brawny fingers began to rub the sides of his head in tight circles. Black and white stars erupted behind his eyelids as the blond Huntsman massaged his temples. A throaty growl lifted itself out of his esophagus.

For the third time, the mighty sun dragon roared. "Your uncle Qrow is here!"

The bellow was so tremendous that it scattered a flock of ravens that had perched on the nearby oak's branches. Their offended cries of _caw-caw_ filled the air. There was no other response. A weight dropped into Taiyang's stomach as he listened to the murder of ravens flying away.

Why weren't the girls answering?

Where was Ruby? Why wasn't she trying to jump into Qrow's arms?

Where was Yang? Why wasn't she trying to break Qrow's legs?

With growing concern, the inebriated boxer strode past Qrow toward the girls' bedroom door. He kicked his bare feet through the carpet of empty bottles; the glass containers went _clink-clank_ as they jostled against each other. Qrow didn't move as the bottles landed against his very thin legs. He watched with one crimson eye as his brother in blood grabbed the doorknob and nearly wrenched the door off its hinges. He listened to Taiyang's audible intake of air when he saw the scene the lay behind the door.

"Oh my god…" the mammoth of a man gasped. The scythe-wielder stepped behind his brother-in-law and looked inside the bedroom.

Yang and Ruby's bunk-beds were empty. It looked as though a tornado had torn the room apart. The dressers had all been stripped of their drawers, which were scattered around the room. Their shared closet was fully open with coat hangers spread around. Tiny blouses and skirts were strewn around the floor like child-sized soldiers. The box chest that contained their toys was wide open, the top propped against the wall like an awaiting mouth. Inside, less than half their precious belongings remained. Qrow made note that Ruby's little red wagon was nowhere to be seen in the room.

The window was wide open. The drapes were fluttering gently in the wind; the curtains reaching inside the empty room like lost hands searching for the missing children.

The father of the children wasn't breathing. His eyes probed the room for his daughters. Amethyst orbs gazed upon the scene, uncomprehending in what he was seeing.

Finally, he stepped into the childless bedroom. His enormous girth nearly filled half the room. He reached inside the closet and pushed aside what clothes remained. Then he crouched down and looked underneath their beds, bleary globes widening when he didn't find his daughters. "Girls?" he pleaded into the darkness.

Standing in the doorway, the grim reaper observed his teammate as realization slowly dawned. The wide man's face drained of all color. His red cheeks became paler than his blond hair. He was kneeling on the floor and staring into empty space.

Neither of the men moved for a moment. Then Qrow asked a question "Where are the girls?"

Mouth wide open, Taiyang looked at his brother in blood. He didn't answer. Instead, the mountain leaped to his feet and hurtled toward the door. The morbid slayer's reaction speed was so quick that he had already begun to move out of the way before the giant Huntsmen had even finished standing. Like a locomotive train, the enormous man powered through the doorway and into the hallway.

He grabbed the next door down the hall and pushed it open. A humble bathroom with a small bathtub was behind that door. The mirror over the sink reflected the image of a father losing his mind. The girls were not in that room. Taiyang slammed the door shut; the entire house shuddered with the overwhelming force. A hairline crack split down the middle of the door, from top to bottom.

The final door was the master bedroom. For a moment, Taiyang's hand held still over the doorknob. Then he gritted his teeth and pushed it open. He stepped inside his own bedroom, walking as though he were entering a minefield. The reason became clear to Qrow when he followed.

The bed had two pillows, side-by-side.

"_He still hasn't rearranged them…"_ The black clad slayer turned to look away from the bed set for two. Taiyang didn't even look at the lonely bed. He tore through the room, pushing open the closet and ripping open the wardrobe. There was no sign of the girls anywhere. The room looked like it hadn't seen life in weeks.

As he left his bedroom, the giant Huntsman was breathing heavy. Physical exertion had nothing to do with it. His barrel chest heaving, Taiyang bolted down the hallway. Qrow ran up behind him and reached out with his right hand. He grabbed the huge man by his broad shoulder and asked again.

"Where are the girls, Taiyang?"

Shrugging the hand off his shoulder, Taiyang approached the back foyer. When he pulled open the door that lead to the backyard, he nearly wrenched it off its hinges. He stepped out into the yard, gravel crunching underneath his bare feet. Wild, lilac eyes searched the forest for any sign of the little red wagon. Then he opened his mouth as wide as he could and bawled at the top of his lungs.

Taiyang screamed "Ruby!" and then "Yang!" and then "Girls!" over and over again.

The surrounding woods swallowed his shouts. Gulping down air like he was drowning, the colossal tanker sank onto his knees. Taiyang's head was on a swivel, tear-streaked eyes searching the woodland for any sign of his daughters. His hair flipped around his head like a golden halo. He was hyperventilating so hard that he didn't even hear Qrow's light footfalls on the gravel. The crow slayer stood directly behind the anguished father.

"Where are your daughters?" his voice was scarcely a whisper.

The giant man fell forward; his strong hands gripped the ground. His amethyst globes dropped to the soil. His long blond beard brushed the dirt. Fat tears dripped from his eyes and nose, wetting the Remnant beneath him. His shoulders, broad as a barn door, heaved as he struggled to breathe.

Qrow knelt down and grabbed his brother in blood by the hair. He wrenched the man's heavy head back until they were looking each other in the eye. Grief-stricken lilac locked with wrathful red.

"Where…" He snarled in Taiyang's face, his voice rising with anger. "…are my nieces?"

Hiccups broke the man. "…I—I don't— know…"

Fury seethed from Qrow's lips with every word. "What do you mean, you don't know?"

Taiyang rose to his feet and turned toward the back door. He walked through the entryway, heading inside his empty house. Qrow followed behind him, glaring daggers into the broad target in front of him. The mountainous man entered the kitchen, looking around every corner with a dazed expression on his face. Then his lavender eyes settled on the refrigerator.

There was a note attached to the refrigerator by a heart-shaped magnet.

In an instant, the blond behemoth leaped toward the note. He ripped the paper off the fridge's surface, sending the heart magnet skittering across the floor. Bloodshot eyes struggled to focus, then read the words scrawled across the paper. Qrow watched as the father of two children began to weep in loud whooping cries. Taiyang's arms fell to his sides, the paper dropping from his hand and floating to the floor.

Black leather hands reached down and gently picked the letter off the floor. When the paper was up to his crimson eye, Qrow read it out loud.

"Dear Daddy," he began "I found out that Summer Rose was not my real mommy."

Taiyang sank to his knees; the kitchen floor creaked beneath the weight.

"I've found a picture that shows my real mommy. It was a picture from your first wedding. I asked a bunch of people if they knew anything. But nobody told me anything about my real mommy. That's what I've been doing while you have been gone."

At the word "gone", the immense man slumped to the floor and lay on his side. Tears streamed down his cheeks from inflamed orbs.

"I found a clue that can help me find my real mommy. I took Ruby with me so that she wouldn't be alone in the house. The clue points to a chapel in the forest, so that's where I have gone. I took some food and toys so that Ruby won't get sad while we're away. Please don't be mad."

Taiyang was sobbing so hard that his entire wide body shook. He wrapped his herculean arms around himself.

"We'll be back before the sun goes down. Love you, Yang and Ruby."

The Grimm reaper set the letter on the kitchen counter and looked out a window. The dark of night swallowed up all the light. Then he turned his scything gaze at the shaking form on the kitchen floor. His anger threatened to burn out of control. He felt bile rising in his throat. He gritted his teeth and swallowed back the vitriol. Then Qrow took two steps over to the toppled man and grabbed the hysterical father. He pulled Taiyang to his feet and shook the dragon as hard as he could.

"How could you leave the girls alone? What have you been doing for the past two weeks?" he nearly screamed in Taiyang's face.

The wide Huntsman purpled in the face. He reached with stalwart hands and clutched the emaciated scythe-wielder by his narrow shoulders. Even when smashed, the herculean boxer was deceptively fast. His grip was physically powerful enough to break Qrow's scrawny bones like dry twigs. The temperature in the room began to gradually rise, causing beads of sweat to form on Qrow's brow. The golden locks wreathed around Taiyang's head and shoulders started to shine as if ablaze. A white light ignited behind his lilac eyes, like twin lightning bugs inside the sockets. Qrow struggled to escape the tightening grip, panicked thoughts tearing through his head.

"_Taiyang is starting to trigger his Semblance out of anger. If I don't stop him now, he will level the entire house with just the activation."_

The one-eyed crow thrashed about inside his imprisonment as the supreme sun dragon roared. "What have **I been doing?** Where have **you been for the past two weeks?** When I needed you most, **you were nowhere to be found!"** The heat radiating from the mighty beast was becoming unbearable for the leather-clad slayer. The robust hands that held the fragile bird only squeezed harder, threatening to crush the captured Huntsman.

Qrow gasped for air, but still managed to cough out "…Yang and Ruby are your daughters… they're your _responsibility_… how could you lose them…?"

Flames sparked from Taiyang's open mouth as he screamed **"I JUST LOST MY WIFE!"**

A rib splintered in Qrow's torso. He screamed in return _"THEY JUST LOST THEIR MOTHER!"_

And just like that, the rising sun was snuffed out. The blazing temperature plummeted and cool air doused the men like ice-water. The dragon released the crow, staggering backward as though he had been stabbed in the chest. He turned his hands palm up and pressed them against his eyes. A howl like a wounded beast tore out of Taiyang's throat.

"Girls!" he could only cry out again and again. "Come back! _Please come back!"_ He grabbed his head and squeezed, as though he were trying to break his own skull. Then he released his cranium and lunged for Qrow again. Instead of grabbing his shoulders, Taiyang dropped to his knees and pressed his forehead against black leather boots.

"You have to help me, Qrow! The girls are out in the forest, all alone!" the once proud monster hunter could only paw at Qrow's grey cloak and plead for help. His tears wetted the boots he cried over.

Qrow violently kicked the howling father in the face. The impact ran up his leg bone and he could feel the fractured pieces of rib rub together agonizingly. His breathing was hitched as he marched toward the hole in the front of the house. He kicked aside empty beer bottles, breaking several of them along the way. Taiyang lumbered after the retreating Huntsman, shouting after him to stop.

Wordless, the black crow exited the house and began to walk away. Far behind him, the distressed titan cried out.

"Qrow, you can't leave! I need your help to find my daughters! They're the only thing I have left in this world!"

Stopping, the scythe-wielder turned on his heels and faced the broken sob. He hollered at the top of his lungs, anger pitched in his words "If they were the only thing you had left in this world… THEN WHY DID YOU ABANDON THEM?!"

Taiyang flopped to the dirt, bawling "I'm sorry!" again and again.

Qrow ground his teeth round at the pitiful sight of the childless father. He stomped his feet as he returned to the grieving man. "You didn't take care of your daughters when Summer Rose died! You crawled in a goddamn bottle, leaving Yang and Ruby all alone in the world!" Qrow drew his foot back and kicked Taiyang in the ribs again and again. The crow's breathing snagged with every sentence as his broken rib stabbed him. The prone hulk only sobbed harder.

"They didn't just lose their mother, but their father at the same time! You're the reason they're gone! You're the reason why they're lost in the forest with Beowolves! It's your fault that _Yang and Ruby are most likely dead!"_

Taiyang accepted each blow "They can't be dead! They just can't be!" he screamed "I can't live without them! I can't—"

A vicious kick impacted the dragon's mouth. Blood smeared across Qrow's boot. Taiyang reached up and grabbed the black clad slayer by his slender legs. He pressed his face against the knees of his brother in blood and wept. "I can't live without my daughters. Please, help me find them."

His last words came out like a solemn promise "I can't live any longer, not if they're gone."

A silence fell throughout the woodland. It was only disturbed by the hysterical sobbing of a man broken by loss. Breathing bankrupted, Qrow looked down at Taiyang as the humongous Huntsman pleaded for the life of his daughters. Vivacious red fluid ran from the weeping man's cracked lips as his entire body shook.

The moment stretched on as the father of two girls continued to shed tears.

There was no other sound, not even the wind dared to breathe.

Then Qrow turned his crow head at the oak tree beside the house. He spoke in a flat tone at the tall tree.

"Girls, you can come out now."

Taiyang stopped shaking. He stopped crying. He stopped breathing.

In the distance, he could hear the squeaking of a wagon wheel. He struggled to his feet and turned to face the source of the sound.

Little Yang and Ruby came out from behind the tree. The four-year-old Ruby Rose was sitting in her little red wagon. It was being pulled by her elder sister, the six-year-old Yang Xiao Long with blonde twin ponytails. Yang's clothes were absolutely filthy and her hands and knees were caked in mud. Grime was smeared across her pale face. Ruby didn't have a speck of dirt on her. They watched from the distance as their father stood up beside Qrow.

Taiyang looked at his blood brother, his lilac eyes wide. Qrow glanced at the speechless father.

A cardinal red eye locked with astonished amethyst.

He explained with a matter-of-fact tone of voice, as if he were describing the weather. "They were in the forest, wandering in the dark. I was hunting a pack of Beowolves at the time. It was the very same pack of Beowolves that found the girls. They were preparing to kill Yang and Ruby. I arrived just in the nick of time and slew every Grimm before they could reach the girls."

Lavender eyes welled with fresh tears. He wrapped his mighty arms around Qrow's slender body and pulled him into a gentle embrace. "You saved my daughters."

"And now I'm here to save you, brother."

The grateful father dropped his face into Qrow's chest, tears flowing freely. He repeated "thank you" over and over again. Then Taiyang released Qrow and took one step toward his waiting children.

Qrow quickly pulled _Dicter Tawel_ from behind his back and swung the ebony scythe around the front of Taiyang's barrel chest, halting the man's forward progress. The herculean Huntsman's pectorals nearly touched the feathered blade. Stopping in mid-step, the fair-haired father turned his head to look at the wielder of the scythe. He searched Qrow's crimson eye for enlightenment.

"What the hell," the able-bodied powerhouse growled "do you think you're doing?" His muscular hands balled into fists mighty enough to uppercut an Ursa Major into the sky. And that was without the use of his Semblance.

"You cannot yet have your daughters back." The scythe wielder's tone was stern as he explained himself. "Not after how you abandoned them."

"You've completely shut down ever since Summer passed. I know that you're in pain, but you have to stop focusing on what you've lost and remember what you have."

Qrow gestured toward the girls still standing underneath the oak tree. Taiyang's mouth fell open, but no words came forth to argue.

"You haven't stopped drinking alcohol and you haven't slept in your bed for two weeks. You're falling apart and I can't let the girls see you like this."

The trembling fists slowly loosened.

"Tonight, you almost lost your daughters. It was all because you were too far gone to keep an eye on them. Yang took Ruby and ran away to try and find her mother, all because her father had shut himself away and became a recluse from his own family."

Taiyang's thick bearded chin dropped to his stalwart chest, he was staring at the ground he stood upon. His bare feet had been cut open when he had stepped through broken glass. Blood oozed out from the wounds and seeped into the dirt.

"I will be taking care of the girls for a short time, Taiyang. I'm giving you three days to dry out and make the house hospitable for children. After three days, I will return with your daughters and you can be a father again."

Standing beneath the oak tree, Yang looked as Qrow held his scythe up to her father's chest. Ruby held her pudgy hands over her silver eyes, incapable of watching. The morbidly slender monster slayer spoke to the daughters of Taiyang. "Go to your rooms and pack enough clothes for three days. You should bring pajamas and fresh underwear. Don't forget your toothbrushes and favorite toothpaste."

Yang tightened her grip on the handle of Ruby's little red wagon. Then she pulled on the handle and rolled the wagon with her sister riding inside it. Just before they disappeared inside the house, Qrow spoke again and said "Be careful in the living room, there is broken glass on the floor. Please watch where you step." Then the girls entered their home and left the men standing outside.

As soon as the girls were out of earshot, Qrow laid down the terms. His voice was as razor-sharp and unyielding as the blade of _Dicter Tawel_.

"When I come back in three days, there will be absolutely no alcohol left in the house. If I find even the slightest hint that you've fallen off the wagon, I will make it my personal mission that you never hold your daughters again. I will take the girls away from Patch and raise them as my own.  
>If I see a single bottle,<br>if I smell it on your breath,  
>if you ever abandon the girls again,<br>you will never see my nieces again."

Taiyang's entire body seemed to be draining with every passing word. His head drooped as low as his spine would allow. His blond mane was dull and lifeless. Yellow tangled hair fell over his broad shoulders and amethyst eyes. His staggering arms hung limply at his sides. He held as still as a statue, one with the name of "Broken hero."

Finally, he spoke with a low voice "I'm sorry it came to this."

"I'm sorry it came to this as well."

"Please, keep them happy."

"You have my word that I will do my best."

Shortly after, the girls came out from the house. There was a pair of backpacks in the back of Ruby's little red wagon, along with an assortment of toys. The black haired four-year-old was walking beside her blonde sister. Ruby held a stuffed teddy bear in her arms. As soon as they were close enough, the tiny girl bolted straight toward her father.

A mighty hand raised a flat palm at little Ruby Rose. She halted in her tracks at her father's wordless gesture to stop. The baby daughter gripped the arm of her favorite teddy bear, Rosy, and held it up toward her father. Qrow stepped between Ruby and Taiyang. He took the teddy bear and handed it to the father.

A petite voice, "I'll miss you, Daddy."

Taiyang held his daughter's teddy bear in his arms and nodded like a ghost. He couldn't speak.

The four-year-old child ran toward her elder sister's side. Qrow sheathed _Dicter Tawel_ behind his back and began to walk the path that lead to his own house. No more words were spoken as he escorted his nieces away from their home.

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><p>End Chapter 8: Requiem for Taiyang<p>

**Author's Notes**: The remaining two chapters in this Act are complete. I will be releasing the Requiem Chapters every other day. I have begun writing Act 1, which is the start of the story's plot.

Please, read and review.


	10. Requiem for Qrow

**Disclaimer**: _RWBY_ is not owned by me. It is owned by Rooster Teeth. This fan-fiction is not for profit.

**Warnings**: This fiction will be rated _T_ for bad language, fantasy violence, and mild sexual themes.

**Author's Notes**: This is the second Requiem Chapter. The next two chapters are very dark and heavy.

IF YOU ARE SENSITIVE TO THE SUBJECT OF SUICIDE AND CHILD ABUSE, PLEASE READ WITH CAUTION.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Requiem for Remnant<em>**

_Chapter 9: Requiem for Qrow_

The trip to Qrow Branwen's manor was morbidly quiet, aside from the squeaky wheel on Ruby's little red wagon. The angular Huntsman gripped the handle of the wagon and pulled it down the dirt road. Little blonde Yang Xiao Long was nearly sprinting to keep up with the tall slayer's long strides. Gravel crunched underneath her tiny shoes as she ran alongside the wagon. Turning her pigtailed head, the six-year-old looked inside and watched her baby sister sleeping in the wagon bed. The petite body was curled up in a ball, draped in a little red riding hood. One of the backpacks the girls had packed was being used as a pillow to rest her head. The other pack was trapped in her minute arms, as if it were a teddy bear. She unconsciously clung to the backpack like it was a life preserver.

Wooden arms stretched overhead from obsidian trees. A cold chill hung in the air, as if trapped by the clutching branches. Low hanging appendages reached toward the hiking trio. Qrow lifted up a black leather glove and gripped a hand made by wood. He twisted the many fingers and they broke off like dry bones. Then the scythe-wielder tossed the twigs over his shoulder, over his niece's wagon. The kindling was strewn across the path behind him. He would repeat this same environmental mutilation with almost every nearby branch along the trail. It would be over ten years before Yang would learn that this act was used to determine if you were being followed on a narrow road.

Amethyst eyes watched the man as he shrugging his lean shoulders. The ebony clad soldier shifted the length of _Dicter Tawel_ diagonally across his back. The stem of the scythe was as black as midnight; the wicked blade was decorated with a feathery pattern. Aside from the head, the stygian scythe was concealed underneath a woefully threadbare gray cloak. Yang wondered if the cloak used to be any other color before time and combat had weathered it to tatters. Dusky boots crushed brown dry leaves beneath his heel.

His single crimson eye stared up the shadowy path. A large eye-patch covered the left socket. Qrow's sigil was decorated upon the pad. His right eye darted back and forth, searching the ink-stained horizon for any danger. The forest crowded around, cutting line of sight significantly. Qrow's eye scythed through the crevices between the trees. Yang twisted her head to look behind her. The darkness of the night reclaimed the path following them. She stared at the pitch blackness, her heart pounding and her hands sweaty. As her eyes adjusted, she thought she saw—

A spider-like right hand landed on Yang's shoulder. She turned away from the watching abyss and looked up at Qrow. He shook his raven head slowly, telling her not to look. The darkness plays tricks on you, convinces you of danger that may not be present. Then the slender monster slayer lifted his left hand and tapped the curved blade of _Dicter Tawel._ It sounded like metal drumming on metal. Do not be afraid, for I am here.

Yang nodded her blonde head and grasped Qrow's right hand. The leather glove was warm. Then his left hand grasped the handle of the red wagon and they continued on their path through the black forest. The only sound that accompanied them was their footsteps on the road and the rustle of leaves in the wind.

They continued to follow the trail, the vegetation growing closer to the road the deeper they traveled into the forest. The road conditions began to deteriorate as Qrow's manor became closer. The number of living trees became zero as the trio entered the Branwen estate. The rotted woods choked the life out of the air. Dry arms hung limply from dead trunks. Brittle hands curled into dying fists. It was as though the very presence of the house was an all consuming virus, long since having destroyed everything around it. The curse that ruined these acres sank into the soil. It was a certain fact that nothing would ever grow here again. Neither flora nor fauna could survive these blighted woods. Even the creatures of Grimm avoided this part of the woodlands.

Tonight would be the first time three people slept here in over twenty years.

A wagon wheel struck a roadside stone. The wagon jostled and silver eyes popped open with a tiny cry. The curled baby beneath the crimson cloak swung her arms out and freed herself from the blanket. She looked up and saw only bonelike branches, spearing toward the black sky as if clawing in anguish. Her ashen eyes soaked in the frightening sight. Then the sun rose over her face and smiled down at her with amethyst globes. Golden strands of sunlight cast over the sleepy child.

"Hey Rubbles, we're almost at Uncle Qrow's house." Big sis Yang spoke in a chipper voice. The four-year-old squeezed the backpack in her arms and tried to make sense of the world. Why did they have to leave Daddy behind? Why was Uncle Qrow mad at Daddy?

Ruby stretched her hand out past the wagon and grasped at Yang's hanging hand. The blonde sister obliged and wrapped her fingers around the reaching hand. So long as Yang was here, then Ruby wouldn't get too sad.

Sitting up in the wagon, Ruby looked up at Uncle Qrow. All she could see was his old grey cloak, his big scythe called _Di-something Towel_, and his left hand holding onto the handle of the wagon. His right hand was holding onto Yang's hand. Ruby wanted to hold Uncle Qrow's hand too, so she patted his left hand. He didn't even seem to notice her tiny hands as she slapped at the black leather. Then Ruby remembered that Uncle Qrow couldn't feel anything with his left hand. She sat back down in the wagon and leaned around, trying to look ahead past her uncle.

Up ahead, there was a clearing in the woods. It was about four square acres in size. A grey stone wall circled around the entire perimeter of the clearing. The wall was crumbling apart; whole sections of the barrier had fallen into rubble. In front of the trio was a massive black-iron gate. The iron was darker than obsidian and warped by the curse that held this land. On either side of the gate, twin basalt sculpture of ravens spread their black wings and shrieked forevermore at unwanted trespassers. As the three walked underneath their grotesque eyes, Ruby held Yang's hand tighter. Yang's other hand clutched harder on Qrow's right hand. Qrow squeezed the handle of the wagon with his left hand, the leather creaking.

They entered the clearing and the girls saw Uncle Qrow's house for the first time. Yang saw a house like that once, when she snuck out of her room to see a late-night horror movie special. It was three stories tall, with brittle dead vines crawling up the sides. The decaying walls were streaked with black moss. Neglect by the only surviving owner had stripped the walls of their former prosperity. They might have been a beautiful color once upon a time. All of the windows were covered up by drapes. Many of them were cracked or completely broken. The black rooftops were missing numerous patches of shingles. The walkway leading up to the house was lined with deceased trees; their ebony branches bore no leaves.

This was no place for any child to be raised.

A bitter smile briefly landed upon the sole inheritor's pale face. His singular eye glared at the decrepit house, as if willing it to collapse and bury all of its memories underneath the rubble. Then he turned his head and glanced at the girls following behind him. Little Yang shivered; she looked as though she were remembering something frightening. Littler Ruby's eyes were as wide as silver saucers, her tiny mouth opened fully as they approached cracked stone steps. When Qrow stopped at the bottom of the steps, Ruby positively leaped out of the wagon and stared up at the imposing goliath. It was a gothic monolith to the decay of a once wealthy family, now having only one remaining heir to the name. It was a testament to the bitter fate that was entropy.

"Uncle Qrow," the tiny girl's voice was uncharacteristically hushed "is this your home?"

Nodding his head sourly, the tall slayer only said "This is my house. I know it's a scary place, but you don't have to be afraid while—"

"It's so cool!" Ruby shrieked at the top of her lungs.

This was not the reaction that Qrow was expecting.

Cherub face practically glowing with enchantment, the petite girl raced up the stairs. Her little red riding hood bounced up and down as she climbed the crumbling steps. Her short black hair swirled around her head as she looked left and right, taking in all the scary sights. She stopped at the top of the steps and wildly gesticulated for her sister and uncle to follow. It was as though she had found a treasure trove. Qrow shook his raven head slowly at the energetic four-year-old. He had forgotten how she was completely immune to horror. After all, Ruby was always the first to greet her fearsome uncle.

From a child's perspective, the big house was full of untold mysteries, of secret rooms, of _je ne sais quoi._

Glancing to his gloved right hand, the leather-clad Huntsman saw that his eldest niece was still holding on. The pigtailed girl shrunk away from the deteriorated mausoleum that loomed before her. Still clutching Qrow's hand, her amethyst eyes glistened and her lower lip trembled. Yang's free hand gripped a blonde pigtail and stuck it into her mouth, sucking on the strands without thinking. Her short legs were quaking unsteadily, knees knocking together.

With a mouth full of her own hair, Yang craned her neck to look up at her formidable uncle. She asked "Are there spiders inside?"

The one-eyed bird shook his head. He reassured his niece with a soothing voice, "There is nothing living in that house."

Lilac eyes widened with alarm. "Then, what about ghosts?"

The single red eye cast a faraway stare at the house of his ancestors. His voice sounded weary, as if he were preparing to face unsavory in-laws. "The phantoms in these walls have no quarrel with you or your sister." This seemed to accomplish very little on the _'make Yang happy'_ front.

Trying again, Qrow clarified that "The lingering shades of the past have no reason to be angry with you girls." Judging by Yang's upset expression; the monster slayer was not a very good babysitter.

Finally, "There is no such thing as ghosts."

Amethyst orbs narrowed at his singular cardinal eye. There was very little trust left in the six-year-old. Still, she walked forward and began to climb the weather-beaten stones. Qrow released her hand and watched as she made her way toward Ruby. Then the emaciated crow bent down and picked up the red wagon with both hands.

When the three of them were gathered on the veranda, Qrow fetched an iron ring out of a pocket. Numerous skeleton keys jangled from the black circlet. Ruby was nearly vibrating as she stood in front of the entryway. Yang wasn't quite sure why Qrow was bothering with keys. It looked as though the ebony wooden door would fall over if she so much as yanked on the curved handle. There were cracks inside the doorframe and the brass hinges were green. Little Ruby ran up to the door and tried to look closely through the cracks. One silver eye squeezed shut and the other peered into the darkness beyond.

A gnarled key was inserted into a chipped hole and the tumblers fell with a grinding clack. When Qrow pulled the front door open, the hinges protested with a deafening creak. It sounded as though the rotten wood was splintering even as the heavy door scraped along the floor. The noise echoed as it bounced through the interior of the house. The inside was an abyss as black as the starless sky. Everything just beyond the doorway was lost to the atramentous gloom. The somber Huntsman stepped into the pitch blackness, his dark attire concealing him almost instantly. For a moment, there was only a bloody eye bobbing in the umbrage.

Then, with a snap, a harsh yellow flare ignited. The darkness was cast back and revealed a narrow entry hall with a threadbare blackish carpet. The slender Huntsman stood inside, holding a burning lantern in his left hand. The light from the flame cast his gaunt features in harsher contrast. His hollow cheeks nearly became empty holes and his sunken eye sockets were black caves. The red of his right eye was visible even in the cavernous puncture. The lantern glow reflected off the stygian steel of _Dicter Tawel_. The sight of the deathlike reaper would have sent any of the other village girls screaming into the night.

Instead, the sisters appreciated Qrow's presence as he welcomed them into his house.

As the trio treaded through the belly of the manor, the wooden floorboards creaked beneath their feet. Qrow found two bronze candlesticks and lit their wicks. Then he handed them to his nieces and told them not to run through the house. If they ran too quickly, then the tiny flames would be snuffed and they would be lost to the darkness. Then he gave them the task of lighting every candlestick on the walls and on every table. He followed behind the girls as they explored the house, room by room. Whenever there was a candle too high for them to reach, their uncle would light it for them. Ruby tackled the chore with gusto, the silver-eyed bursting with excitement as she entered each room. She would inevitably run from candle to candle, accidentally snuffing out her own timid light time and time again. Yang never let Ruby out of her sight, but her amethyst eyes were watching out for any sudden movements or ancient angry ancestral in-laws. Every time a wind drifted in through a cracked window, the low moaning would send the elder sister simpering. Each room they exited was left illuminated by candlelight.

Tiny feet pattering on the floorboards as the red-cloaked child raced down a hallway. The sound was something that Qrow had thought would never grace these halls again. She nearly left her uncle's sight as she bowled into the lounge. The interior of this room was furnished with a _bonging_ grandfather clock, a dust-coated couch, two moth eaten throne chairs facing each other, a mahogany coffee table between the royal seats, and a grand fireplace. The centerpiece was the table, with furniture on each side and the fireplace close enough to warm the guests. Yang noticed that there were two porcelain tea cups on the table, sitting just in front of each throne chair.

One cup was coated in dust.

There were no candles in this room. As the girls watched, Qrow approached the fireplace and opened a compartment just to the side. He retrieved a bundle of freshly cut logs and tossed them inside the hearth. Within moments, the dry wood was set ablaze and the entire room was filled with flickering amber light. The furniture cast deep shadows into the corners of the room. Ruby's colorless eyes reflected the glowing sparks that leaped into the air. The warmth soaked into her bones. The chime of the grandfather clock filled her ears. Her eyelids began to flutter. Qrow opened the chute and watched as smoke rose out of the rooftop chimney for the first time in ages.

The last room the girls found was the child bedroom. They stood in the narrow hall, just outside the closed door. There was a heavy lock on the door, broken by blunt force trauma. For a moment, the cadaverous slayer was as still as black granite. His scarlet eye was fixated upon the ecru door, as if in a trance. Breaths were short and shallow, nostrils flaring ever so slightly. Lips were pursed tight enough to turn them white. His right hand twitched and brushed his right cheek. He hadn't even realized that he was holding his own face. Qrow shook his wasted body one time, breaking free from the clutches of ghosts past.

The door handle turned with difficulty. Age had rusted the cold metal. With a firm twist, the door handle gave. A chattering creak echoed down the dimly lit hallway. The door swung outward, causing Qrow to have to step back to open it entirely. It only made sense the door swung out, otherwise the hinges would have to be on the inside of the room. If the hinges were on the inside, they could be tampered with by prisoners. These thoughts were old news for the dark Huntsman. They had occurred to him many times in his years spent living alone in this house.

Yang led Ruby inside the child bedroom. It was so dark that they couldn't see a thing. Their crow uncle stepped past them and maneuvered through the shadows with familiar ease. The girls heard the rasp of curtains being moved. Then moonlight poured inside and illuminated the bedroom. Uncle Qrow stood in window, his emaciated frame silhouetted by the light of the cold Moon.

The first thing Ruby noticed was that there were two twin-sized beds.

The first thing that Yang noticed was the bars over the window.

There was no other furniture in the room. The beds took up most of the space, even when they were in opposite corners of the room. A simple iron-wrought chandelier hung from the plaster ceiling, holding merely twin candles. The only decoration was a ratty carpet in the middle, just large enough for two children to sit upon it.

Ruby broke the silence when she asked with a voice so innocent "Whose room is this?"

A wiry smile split the white mask over her uncle's face. "This room used to be mine."

"Why did you have two beds?"

The scarlet eye closed. "That's because I wasn't the only one who slept here. I used to have a sibling." He opened his eye and looked at the sisters at his feet. "I had a twin sister."

"You're talking about my mother." Yang said in a quiet voice.

Qrow looked at her with a wide eye. Surprised scarlet locked with hard amethyst.

"How much do you know about her?" he was careful to avoid saying her name.

Yang looked down at her feet, blonde pigtails drooping. "I asked everyone I could for anything they knew. Nobody wanted to tell me anything. The only thing I learned was that Daddy was on the same team as my mother and Ruby's mommy. You were also on the same team."

Tiny hands reached into her back pocket and pulled a crinkled piece of paper out. She held it up toward her uncle. The tall man reached down and gingerly plucked the scrap from her hand. He lifted it up to his eye and sucked in a short breath.

It was a photograph of Taiyang's first wedding.

Four familiar faces smiled out of the window to the past. It had been a bright and sunny day, with white clouds floating over the wedding ceremony. The chapel in the background was the same one where Qrow had found Yang and Ruby in the forest. In the picture, the newlyweds were standing on the top of the stone stairs leading to the chapel. Above their heads was a tall arch decorated with beautiful white roses, handpicked by the maid of honor. The bride and groom held each other's hands, the picture of matrimonial bliss. On the steps beneath the bride and groom, their best man and maid of honor stood in opposite corners and held matching bouquets of flowers.

Qrow saw his own face, a shade less pale and cheeks slightly fuller. His raven hair was slicked down by copious amounts of oil. Both of his crimson eyes were looking off-screen, acting as if he wanted to be anywhere else. He wore a white tuxedo, which hilariously contrasted his normal attire entirely. Qrow remembered that it was uncomfortably tight and constricted his movements. He had been trying his best not to smile for the camera.

Wearing a simple peach-colored dress, Summer Rose was positively beaming with unrelenting joy. She was smiling as though it were her own wedding, although that wouldn't come two more years. The young woman's cherub face was flushed with rosy cheeks. Bright silver eyes glistened with tears, held back only by sheer force of will. They would spill as soon as the picture developed. Long black hair tumbled messily over her shoulders. She had never been too concerned with her hair. The red lipstick seemed out of place on Summer's face. She would never willingly wear lipstick unless it was for something very important to her.

Taiyang Xiao Long stood beside his bride. His wedding tuxedo was one of the largest ever designed. The herculean groom had been resisting the urge to flex his muscles. The expensive suit would have burst from the juggernaut force. The hulking behemoth was wearing the largest grin of them all, competing with Summer and winning just by virtue of width. Back then, the man's beard had yet to grow, so seeing Taiyang's chiseled chin again was a bit of a shock for present Qrow. The groom held both of his bride's hands inside of his own massive grip.

Traditionally, brides wore white lace dresses with transparent veils to cover their faces. There was nothing traditional about the bride's appearance. Raven Branwen's bridal gown was burgundy and hugged her every curve. Black feathers were sewn into the sleeves and into the frills of the wedding dress. Her lips were painted stygian and her nails were charcoal. In the past, Raven Branwen had a rebellious haircut. One half of her head was buzzed short. The other half was short and punk. Her crimson eyes glared straight into the camera, as if challenging everyone. There was no mistaking the fierce smirk on her wicked face. Raven was leaning toward the wall of muscle that was her husband, her hands lost within Taiyang's colossal grasp.

They had been so happy, but for such a short time. How was it possible? That the nightmare of Raven's past could have done so much damage to her marriage? Was there anything that Qrow could have done to save his twin? Could he even blame Raven for suffering her trauma so quietly until the day it all fell apart? How could Qrow be angry at his sister for letting the past hurt her so much, when he was still sleeping at ground zero of the ordeal? The past six years, he had been struggling with these same questions.

"Uncle Qrow?"

The timid voice snapped the sable slayer out from the past. He resurfaced so swiftly that he lost his balance. Stumbling back, he almost knocked little Ruby to the ground. The crumpled up photograph fell from his fingers and fluttered to the floor. The pigtailed sister picked up the paper. For a moment, the dark bringer didn't speak. When he found his voice again, it was shaking ever so slightly.

"_Where_ did you find that?" Qrow tried to keep his storming emotions out of his words. It didn't work, and little Yang flinched at the edge in his voice. Ruby stuck a finger in her mouth and began to suck on the stubby digit.

Trembling, the young blonde stuttered "Daddy broke a picture frame a little while ago. It was a picture of Ruby's mom. Daddy didn't notice, so I picked up the broken glass so that Ruby wouldn't get hurt." Qrow stiffened when he heard his blood brother's neglect. Yang continued with "I found this picture behind Mommy's picture. I almost asked Daddy about it, but I was afraid he would get upset." Moist lilac eyes stared at the picture in her hands. She was looking at the bride and her bridesmaid. "I remembered that this church was somewhere in the forest. I thought I could find it and maybe I could…"

The tiny voice dropped to a whisper, then ceased to be heard. Yang was clutching the picture to her blouse while looking at the floor. Little Ruby walked behind her big sister and wrapped her arms around the downcast girl's waist. It wasn't difficult to see the whole picture.

Kneeling down before of his eldest niece, Qrow reached out and put his right hand upon her golden hair. He stroked the yellow strands that flowed from her crown. "You thought you could find a clue to lead you to your mother."

"And I did." The young blonde lifted her head and looked straight into her uncle's crimson eye. "You saved me. You can help me find my mother."

Standing abruptly, the deathlike Huntsman towered over his petite niece. Wordless, he turned and began to walk toward the open door. His ratty cloak billowed behind him as he made his retreat.

"Wait!"

Yang's shrill cry caused him to pause. He put his left hand on the doorframe and looked over his shoulder. "I cannot help you find my sister. Forget about her." Then he slipped out of the child bedroom and into the hallway. The pitter-patter of tiny shoes followed him.

"I need to find my mother! If she comes back, then Daddy will get better!" She sounded so certain of this. Qrow knew that he wasn't going to be able to run away from her. He shortened his strides and led his stubborn niece away from the bedroom.

When they were back in the lounge, the resigned slayer stopped. He took a seat in one of the throne chairs and placed his face in his hands. Immediately, Yang was beside him with her tiny lungs huffing. She stood between him and the roaring fireplace. The flickering light washed across her golden hair, casting fiery scarlet upon her silhouette. She glared at her silent uncle and spoke between gulps of air. "You will help me find my mother." The conviction in her voice was ironclad.

Lifting his pallid face from his hands, the brooding scythe wielder finally addressed his niece with a single word.

"No."

For an instant, Qrow saw a splash of crimson flash across Yang's amethyst orbs. She clenched her teeth and balled her fingers into tight fists. Huffing and puffing, the petite dragon screwed up her face into an expression of pure outrage. The flames in the fireplace seemed to cool in comparison to the building tantrum.

"You know where my mother is." The accusation in her voice was too familiar. Taiyang had used that same tone when they first spoke earlier this night. This debate would only end in heartbreak.

"I do not know where my sister is." It was an honest truth. Raven's Semblance made it impossible to track her movements. By the time rumors reached Qrow in Patch, they were long since obsolete. Trying to track her down was like catching a lightning bug in the distance. The past six years have been an effort in futility.

"You're lying." She was beginning to sound desperate. Her temper was beginning to peak.

"I am not lying. But even if I did know where my sister was, I don't think I could bring her back."

"Why can't you bring her back?" her shrill tone was much like a boiling tea kettle.

"Because Yang, _there is nothing keeping her away_."

In an instant, the scalding hot blood in Yang's veins turned to ice-water. She started to comprehend the implication of Qrow's words. Then she forced herself to cease that train of thought.

The young girl stamped her feet and rasped "You're useless." The monster slayer flinched as if he had been struck. Not even the phantasm pain in his left arm could compare.

Watching Yang lose her temper was like seeing a wild daffodil wilt. She crossed her hands in front of her chest and grabbed her arms, squeezing them tightly. She bowed her head, her chin on chest, and began to heave deep breaths. The hysterical girl doubled over her stomach. She fell on her knees and cracked her head on the floor, casting her blonde hair across the floor. Qrow leaped out of his chair and reached for his niece, concern etched upon his haggard face.

As soon as his hand touched the seizing girl, she screamed out loud.

"Don't touch me! You're useless! You can't help anyone!"

The petite ball of odium fixated one hateful eye upon him. Qrow's breath hitched as if he had been stabbed. It was the color of blood. It was the color of her mother's eyes.

"I will find my mother, no matter what I have to do!"

The determination in Yang's voice sounded too familiar in Qrow's ears. He has had far too much experience with this. He has heard that same tone in his sister's voice, usually just before doing something self-destructive. This had to stop, right here.

Yang had to be stopped right now.

Qrow grabbed his niece by the shoulder with his left hand and hoisted her into the air. She shrieked and thrashed, striking his left arm. Her outrage echoed down the halls. The frenzied blonde grabbed his arm and dug her nails into the clothed limb. He did not release her, not even when she swung her foot at his face. Qrow simply let the berserker strike him with everything she had. His Aura protected him from the feeble attacks. Yang punched him, kicked him, spat in his eye, and screamed bloody murder until she was blue in the face.

This continued until the burning logs in the fireplace had been reduced to smoldering ashes. The lounge room was as dark and cold as it had been when they first entered the house. The only sound was that of the grandfather clock chiming.

When there was nothing left, Yang resorted to glaring at her uncle with her mother's eyes. Crimson locked with crimson. She seethed because her throat was too dry to speak. Finally, the tight grip that restrained the wasted berserker was released. She landed on her feet, then collapsed onto her knees; then she fell forward upon her hands, and to conclude laid flat on the floor with her cheek on the wood.

Still, Yang did not stop glaring up at the monstrous slayer.

The scythe-wielder reached behind his back. _Dicter Tawel_ dropped to the ground, the blade clattered against the floorboards when it fell over. The source of her anger sat down on the floor, legs crossed in meditation. He gazed down upon the prone form of his anguished niece. Qrow held as still as a statue. He spoke with an exhausted voice.

"Yang, your stubbornness will get you killed."

A wheezing reply, "I don't care."

"Well there are people that do care. I am one of them."

"You don't care!" she began to cough.

"I do care, and that's why I have to put an end to this."

"I'm not going to stop, no matter what you say."

A single crimson eye closed as the man inhaled a slow breath. "Why did you run out in the woods, in the middle of the night?"

"I found a clue! I had to follow it!"

"And when you followed it, what did you find?"

"The church was rubble. And there was…" her voice trailed off.

"There was a pack Beowolves living there." Qrow finished her sentence. The twin crimson eyes broke contact with the single cardinal eye.

"What do you think," The emaciated envoy of death breathed deeply "would have happened if I hadn't arrived."

"I would have died." The obstinacy in her tone was ironclad. She was stubbornly determined to cease caring about her life.

"You're forgetting something."

"What!" she snapped.

"You had Ruby with you."

The whole world froze over in that moment of realization. Yang didn't move an inch of her body. Her eyes widened, the crimson draining from her orbs. Her young face became sheet white. Her tiny mouth was open, but no words formed on her tongue. Yang couldn't breathe.

Leaning forward, the weary warrior stared directly into the comatose girl's amethyst eyes. There was no sympathy in that cardinal glower. He was not speaking to her like she was a bratty child. This was no insignificant issue, not with what was at stake. Right now, these words needed to be said no matter how young and ill-prepared the girl was.

"You did not simply endanger your life tonight. You almost cost Ruby her own as well. Do you know why she went with you?"

There was no reply.

"It is because Ruby _trusted you."_

The body on the floor twitched.

"And you betrayed that trust when you carried Ruby into the jaws of death."

Tiny fingers curled into limp fists.

"What would you have done, Yang…"

There was so much hanging in the balance. This moment would change the course of Yang's entire life.

"…If you had survived tonight…"

Everything was resting upon Qrow's next three words.

"…And Ruby hadn't?"

Hush.

It started slowly, then snowballed into more.

Her whole body started trembling, then her tiny shoulders began to quake. Tears welled up in the six-year-old girl's eyes. Then they poured out and rolled down her face, pooling on the floor beneath her cheek. She opened her mouth fully, a low cry leaking out from a tight throat. Then she wailed as if she were watching it happen, the full weight of her transgressions coming down upon her like a tidal wave.

The scenario that Qrow proposed was cruel. It was as heartless as the creatures of Grimm. She would never fully recover from this night. Always, in the back of her mind, this thought would lay lurking. In Yang's future moments of weakness, she would recall Qrow's words and relive this anguish. The overwhelming horror of this possibility was more than the elder sister could bear.

Yang would never, ever lead her sister into danger again.

When the pitiful cries began to taper off, Qrow placed his right hand on the weeping girl's back. He rubbed small circles across her shaking shoulders. He consoled his grief-stricken niece, whispering comforting platitudes into her tiny ears. The grown-man regretted her pain, but not the cause of it. He only wished that someone had done the same for his twin sister.

At last, the lounge fell silent and the upset girl was spent again. Gently, as though picking up a broken baby bird, the one-eyed crow picked her up. She did not struggle this time, but hung limply in his hands. He pressed her against his chest, his left arm supporting her bottom. She weakly wrapped her short arms around his gaunt neck and buried her tear-stricken face into his shoulder.

"Come," the monster slayer whispered soothingly "let us return to Ruby."

Yang sniffled in agreement.

Qrow carried his niece toward the bedroom. As they passed down the hallway, Yang whispered timidly.

"Can you please tell me my mother's name?" She sounded apologetic.

"Not until the day you stop looking for her." His voice was gentle, but stern.

When they reentered the child bedroom, they found Ruby sitting face-first in a corner. She had her pudgy hands pressed against her ears and her silver eyes shut tight. It was apparent that Ruby had heard her sister's screams. In a miserable coincidence, Ruby was crouching in exactly the same position that Qrow himself had; back when he was a child living in this damnable house. Hearing the screams of their sisters had that effect upon siblings.

Seeing Ruby alive had a reinvigorating effect upon Yang. She started to push against Qrow's shoulders, trying to get to the ground. The tall man obliged and dropped his niece from his hold. She landed behind Ruby's fetal form. When she touched the still child, the four-year-old girl turned her head. Silver eyes landed on amethyst. Immediately, the younger sister sprung from the corner and tackled Yang into a vice-like hug.

"Yang, I thought you were dead!"

Yang returned the hug and rubbed wet cheeks with her living sister. When she opened her mouth, her voice cracked. "I'm so sorry, Ruby."

The precious jewel looked at gold and amethyst with silver.

"Why are you sorry?"

"I'm sorry for making you sad. I won't ever make you sad again."

The ebony-clad Huntsman stood in the doorway, watching the sisters embrace. Then they released each other and walked to the little red wagon sitting in the corner. They grabbed their respective backpacks out of the wagon and opened them. When they produced pajamas, Qrow took that as his cue to give them privacy. He closed the door gently and walked away.

When their uncle returned, the sisters were dressed for nighttime. A glass of water was held out for Yang. Uncle Qrow instructed her to swallow slowly, her throat would be sore. As the elder sister sipped with parched lips, Uncle Qrow picked up little Ruby and set her on a bed. The four-year-old dove underneath the covers and the six-year-old joined her shortly after in the same bed. The second bed didn't get much use back in the days of Qrow's youth. It was always easier to sleep with family when darkness was banging on the door.

Uncle Qrow picked up the empty glass and began to leave the room.

Then Ruby called out "Wait, I can't sleep!"

Uncle Qrow stopped himself just outside the door and turned around. He returned to the bed and sat on the end. He looked at his youngest niece and asked "What can I do to help you sleep?"

"I need a kiss goodnight."

"Didn't you get enough from your sister?"

"Those are sissy kisses, they don't count! I need a grown-up to kiss me goodnight." The silver-eyed youth spoke with a huff, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Sorry, I didn't know that was how it worked." He spoke with a matter-of-fact tone. Uncle Qrow leaned over the sheets and pressed his narrow lips against Ruby's forehead.

Ruby looked at her uncle with a funny expression. "Didn't you ever get goodnight kisses?"

"My sister was the only one who has ever given me goodnight kisses." Honestly, there have been only two women who have ever touched Qrow with their lips.

"Didn't your Mommy or Daddy give you kisses?"

Uncle Qrow was beginning to realize that he had fallen into a trap. He would have to answer every one of the inquisitive girl's questions before she could fall asleep. If what he heard was true about little kids, they have _a lot of questions_.

Settling in for the long haul, the slender slayer glanced around the room as if collecting memories from thin air. "I didn't know my father. He left before my sister and I were born. My mother wasn't—"

There was so many words that Qrow could use to describe Mother Branwen. Not enough of them were appropriate for the girl's to hear. He picked his words carefully, trying not to reveal too much.

"_My_ mother wasn't a loving mother. She raised us in this house, but only because she needed someone to… share in her."

"I don't get it."

He forced a smile to sooth the girl. "My father left because he couldn't take care of my mother. She was a very sick woman. She needed someone to share in her sickness."

"Did she have a cold?"

Shaking his raven head slowly, he answered "She wasn't sick with a virus. She was sick in her head. Mother could go from happy to sad without anything happening. She didn't spend her happy times with us though. We were only in her way. She would put my sister and I in this room if she ever felt like it."

Yang eyed the bars over the windows and the heavy lock on the doorknob. A picture began to form in her head, and it wasn't a pleasant one. A deep pit formed in the blonde's stomach. _Was this the life that my mother had grown up with_? What kind of woman did this to her own children?

"Mother only got more sick in the head as we grew up. She would get angrier faster and faster. I think it was a blessing when I found her—"

_Hanging two feet above the ground. Neck roped to ceiling. Tears spilled down from crimson eyes. Fetched key from her pocket. Didn't let her down. Ran to another locked room. Opened it and let Raven out. Told Raven the news. Cried together. No sadness. Only dreams come true. Prayers answered._

None of this was spoken, only replayed in the mind's eye of a grown man.

"How did you find her?" Ruby's tiny voice snapped Qrow out of his reverie. He answered without thinking.

"Mother was gone."

Silver eyes lowered to the bed sheet. "You lost your mommy too."

Stomach twisting into a knot, Qrow realized that he had carelessly maneuvered the conversation in the wrong direction. _There is too much pain lingering in this house_. Hadn't Qrow promised that he would keep Taiyang's daughters happy? It was too late now, there was nothing he could do to keep the girl from thinking about her own mother.

The tiny brunette whispered "I feel sorry that your mommy died too."

Bitter thought: _"Well, I guess that makes one person."_

"Maybe our mommies are in heaven together?" She sounded hopeful.

"_Not if there's such a thing as a benevolent god."_

But instead of that, "All mommies go to Heaven. It's a very happy place. Summer Rose is looking down on you, right now."

A weak smile trembled on the lips of his youngest niece. Her silver orbs began to glisten. Her itty bitty voice was broken. "I—I miss my—my mom—mommy." She began to shake softly, the day's events were so tiring that she couldn't muster the energy for a proper cry.

There were no words capable of describing how horrible Qrow felt. The whole night has been one heartbreak after another. The entire family was breaking to pieces with a cavernous hole left in the middle of their hearts. Only a mother could fill this hole and make their lives normal again.

Yang fired an angry glare at her mortified uncle. Her own eyes were filling with tears. But she couldn't let herself cry anymore, not when her sister needed her. She wrapped her arms around little Ruby's trembling body.

When she began to sing to her sister, it was the most beautiful sound that Qrow has ever heard.

"Don't worry, I've got you;  
>Nothing will ever harm you.<br>I'm close by, I'll stay here;  
>Through all things, I will be near."<p>

The monster slayer stood up and began to walk away. He could not provide the love that a sister could.

"Close your eyes,  
>Don't you cry.<br>Love's around you;  
>In time, you'll fly."<p>

He stood in the doorway as the third stanza began. Yang forced herself to sound happier than any of them felt. She held her sister's shoulders and began to bounce on the bed in beat with the song. Ruby held on to her sister and bounced along, eyes still shedding silver tears. Her little lips moved in synch with Yang's, wordlessly singing along.

"Don't you worry about the dark,  
>I will light up the night with the love in my heart.<br>I will burn like the sun,  
>I will keep you safe and warm."<p>

The song was one that Qrow has heard once before. It was back when Yang was an only child. Summer had not yet married Taiyang, but she still arrived every day to help the ill-equipped father care for the growing baby girl. Qrow lent a hand whenever at all possible. The father was enormously grateful for his teammates. The last time he heard this song, the singer was Taiyang himself.

"Like the smell of a Rose on a Summer's day,  
>I will be there to take all your fears away.<br>With a touch of my hand,  
>I will turn your life to gold."<p>

This song was a spoken promise, a cheerful oath, to always provide unconditional love. It was the sort of love that Qrow has only seen possible with family. Back when the man was a child, he would never have suspected that his family would one day be six members strong.

"With a touch of my hand,

I'll turn your life to g—gold."

Qrow could still hear them sniffling as he closed the door.

Now he needed to prepare for the hard part.

* * *

><p>Qrow entered the lounge room. He opened the log safe and retrieved another bundle of firewood and restarted the exhausted hearth. Within moments, the room was filled with the crackling of a roaring fire. Shadows sprang into the furthest corners of the room as the wood burned. Then he picked up both porcelain teacups and carried them into the center of the house.<p>

The kitchen was one of the only rooms that was regularly used. Qrow approached the sink, dragging his feet wearily. He twisted a knob beneath the faucet. Water began to cough out in sputters. He rinsed both teacups beneath the water and then set them beside a sugar bowl. He grabbed a kettle and partially filled it with water from the tap. Then he put the kettle on top of the kitchen stove and turned on the gas. A box of matches sat beside the stove. Qrow grabbed the matchbox and struck a spark. A moment later and a blue flame was burning beneath the kettle.

As the water boiled, the man of the house walked to a wooden cabinet. Within the breakfront was a variety of ingredients and spices and teas. The last item was what Qrow retrieved. He picked two flavors out of the wide selection. Peppermint and chamomile. By this time, the water had just begun to boil. With clockwork precision, the tired crow swept by the stove, picked up the kettle, and deposited just the right amount of boiling water to each teacup. He left the bags of tea into the cups. He lifted the lid of the sugar bowl and picked up two cubes. Both of them were deposited in the teacup with peppermint. The chamomile received no additives. He retrieved two porcelain saucers, their patterns matching the teacups. He removed the tea bags after they had finished flavoring the water.

Carrying both teacups and saucers, the willowy Huntsman reentered the lounge. Qrow put a porcelain saucer on the table, in front of one of the throne chairs. He set the teacup of chamomile on the saucer, both items within hands reach from the royal seat. Then he dragged his exhausted body to the other chair and set the second saucer on the table. The peppermint teacup sat on the saucer. Finally, he took a seat in the large throne and leaned back. Qrow did not drink from the cup in front of him.

The warmth of the fire swept over the weary bag of bones. The metronome of the grandfather clock dragged the slayer of monsters to a fitful slumber.

* * *

><p>The clatter of porcelain woke him up.<p>

A single crimson eye opened just a slit. The fire had died down to smoldering embers. By the time on the clock, only three hours had passed. It was now the darkest part of the night, just before the sunrise.

_Clink._

He held perfectly still, listening for it again.

_Clink._

Qrow sat up in his throne and picked up the teacup before him. Lifting it by his fingertips, the sleepy crow pressed his lips to the porcelain and took a sip. The peppermint was cold and sweet, exactly how he enjoyed it. He held the cup by his fingertips and looked across the long table.

She was sitting in the throne chair, opposite of Qrow. She set her cup of chamomile onto the porcelain saucer with a _clink_. Then she crossed her legs and looked across the table.

Twin crimson eyes met a single cardinal eye.

Qrow Branwen greeted her with a civil "Hello, sister."

Raven Branwen replied with "Hello, brother."

* * *

><p>End Chapter 9: Requiem for Qrow<p>

**Author's Note**: Tell me, who read the last two lines and screamed "What the fuck is she doing here?"

The next chapter is titled "Requiem for Raven" and it will conclude this Act.


End file.
